GIFT  OF 


DEVLIN- 
J  -  BOSS 


DEVLIN-BOSS 


DEFLIN- 
J  -  BOSS 


A   ROMANCE   of 
AMERICAN  POLITICS 


By  FRANCIS 
CHURCHILL 
WILLIAMS 

ILLUSTRATED 
BT 

C  L I  FF  O  R  D 
C  A  R  L  r  O  N 


LOrHROP     PUBLISHING     COMPANY 
B O  S  TON 


COPYRIGHT, 
i  go  i,  BY 

L  O  r  H  R  O  P 
P UBLISHING 
COMPANY. 

ALL  RIGHTS 
R  E  S  E  R  VE  D 

ENTERED  AT 
STATIONERS' 
HALL 


Published  Ju/y  2^,  I  go  I 
jth  Thousand,  July  29, 
?lh   Thousand,  Aug.   id,  IQOI 


T?  TOMMY 

COMRADE 
C  O  U  NS  ELLOR 
CRITIC  ^ 


162233 


FOREWORD 


JIMMY,  taking  his  beating  with  clenched  teeth  and 
dry  eyes ;  Jimmy,  hurrying  to  the  bedside  of  some 
stricken  worker ;    Jimmy  whose  face  softened  at 
the  sound  of  a  woman's  voice,  and  whose  arms  made 
a  cradle  at  a  baby's  touch ;  Jimmy  whose  heart  was 
over-big  for  his  plain,  strong  body, —  this,  as  well  as 
the  Jimmy  whose  tireless  brain  wove  the  political  des 
tinies  of  a  city's  thousands,  is  the  Jimmy  I  would  have 
you  know. 

To  the  world  he  was  a  Boss.  To  a  few  he  was 
a  Man. 

That  those  who  know  of  a  "Jimmy"  in  his  public 
character  may,  after  reading  this  story,  think  sometimes 
of  him  as  one  with  longings,  disappointments  and  joys 
akin  to  their  own  is  the  wish  of 

THE  AUTHOR. 


BOOK 

•  ONE  • 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


J.   DEVLIN  » 

BOSS 


CHAPTER  I 

JIMMY    DEVLIN    sat    in    a    chair   and    was 
pounded.     His  arms  were  folded  about  his 
head ;  his  feet  were  caught  in  the  rungs  of  the 
chair;  his  spindle  shanks  fortified  the  shelter  given 
by  his  arms  from  the  blows  which  Dan  Gallagher 
sought  to  plant  on  his  face,  and  which  fell  upon 
his  thin  shoulder  blades  and  bent  back.     It  was  in 
the  Sporting  Editor's  room,  and  the  time  was  the 
breathing  spell  which  followed  the  printing  of  the 
first  edition  of  the  "  Evening  News." 

The  Sporting  Editor  and  his  associates  criticized 
Dan's  delivery  of  blows  and  awaited  developments. 
Jimmy  would  have  the  best  of  the  encounter  in  the 
end,  they  knew  from  experience. 

Presently,  a  blow  heavier  than  the  rest  knocked 
Jimmy  sideways,  and  Dan  who  was  the  biggest  and 
strongest  of  the  office  boys,  paused  to  note  its  effect. 
Jimmy  promptly  raised  his  head.  He  was  a  small 
boy,  and  his  face  covered  with  freckles,  his  pug  nose, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  12 

thin  lips,  pointed  chin  with  heavy  lines  about  the 
mouth,  and  his  wrinkled  brow  made  him  look  like  a 
chimpanzee.  But  his  blue  eyes  were  sharp,  and  his 
forehead  was  'broad.  He  stuck  out  his  tongue  at 
Dan  and  laughed,  a  little,  dry  cackle  that  drove  his 
assailant  into  a  fresh  fury.  Then  he  ducked  into  the 
shelter  of  his  arms  just  in  time  to  avoid  a  vicious 
blow,  and,  for  two  minutes,  was  thumped  harder 
than  ever. 

When  sheer  exhaustion  made  the  other  stop 
Jimmy  raised  his  head  again.  "  Hello !  slugger,"  he 
said,  and  laughed  again.  There  were  ugly,  red 
marks  on  his  neck,  and  one  dirty,  chapped  knuckle 
was  bleeding;  but  his  voice  was  unshaken  and  his 
eyes  sparkled.  Dan  was  satiated  with  the  use  of 
his  fists  but  dissatisfied.  He  knew  that  he  was 
worsted ;  the  Sporting  Editor's  laughter  told  him  so. 
It  was  with  relief  that  he  heard  the  City  Editor  ring 
his  desk  bell,  and  responded  to  the  call. 

Jimmy's  comment  was  brief :  "  Th'  big  stiff !  " 
he  said,  as  he  unhooked  his  legs  from  the  chair  and 
adroitly  filched  a  half-smoked  cigarette  from  the  cor 
ner  of  the  Sporting  Editor's  desk;  "  he  couldn't 
punch  a  dent  in  a  pound  a  butter."  Then  he  sucked 
his  knuckle,  and  dodged  to  avoid  an  eraser  which  the 
owner  of  the  cigarette  hurled  at  his  head. 

Jimmy  Devlin  was  the  terror  and  delight  of  the 
"  News  "  office.  He  was  a  lamb  when  he  arrived; 
but,  within  two  weeks  he  hatched  a  brood  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  13 

talents  which  bred  more  laughter  and  curses  among 
the  men  of  the  editorial  staff  than  were  earned  by  the 
other  five  boys  together.  He  had  graduated  from 
the  street,  where  he  sold  papers,  to  the  editorial 
rooms  of  the  "  News  "  where  he  carried  "  copy  " 
and  ran  errands.  When  at  home,  he  lived  in  watch 
ful  fear  of  his  father  who  called  himself  "  politician," 
and  found  need  to  be  much  in  the  saloons  of  his 
neighborhood. 

But  of  these  facts  the  "  News  "  office  was  igno 
rant.  Jimmy  rarely  talked  there  about  anything  but 
what  concerned  the  "  News  "  and  the  men  who  made 
it.  He  was  not  exactly  secretive,  but  he  had  a  phil 
osophy  of  his  own.  He  believed  in  hearing  every 
thing  that  was  to  be  heard,  and  imparting  only  such 
information  as  was  likely  to  be  useful  to  himself. 
Thus  he  developed  his  ideas  upon  finance.  At  four 
teen  years  of  age  he  had  discovered  the  truth  that 
money  breeds  money  and  that  enterprises  are  profit 
able  to  the  promoter  in  proportion  as  their  workings 
are  hidden  from  outsiders.  So  it  was  that  he  became 
a  banker. 

There  were  many  small  tips  to  be  earned  about  the 
"  News  "  office.  Newspaper  making  is  a  hungry 
business,  and  some  newspaper-makers  have  small 
chance  to  go  to  restaurants  for  their  meals.  There 
fore,  to  the  one  who  brings  them  a  good  lunch 
quickly  they  are  grateful.  A  nickel  measured  the 
gratitude  of  the  men  at  the  desks  of  the  "  News  " — 


. 
i 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  14 

until  Jimmy  arrived.  Soon  after  that  time  it  was 
observed  that  the  nickel  was  seldom  to  be  found 
in  the  change  tills  of  the  nearby  restaurants.  A  dime 
was  the  smallest  coin  that  Jimmy  brought  back,  un 
less  the  difference  between  the  sum  given  him  and  the 
purchase  price  of  the  meal  he  fetched  was  less  than 
ten  cents.  And  Jimmy,  most  often,  got  the  dime. 
The  same  conditions  existed  in  the  tobacco  stores 
when  Jimmy  was  sent  to  get  a  cigar  or  cigarettes. 
But,  then,  no  one  responded  so  promptly  as  did 
Jimmy  to  the  call  for  a  boy  to  do  an  errand ;  and  he 
always  brought  back  exactly  what  was  wanted.  So 
he  got  most  of  the  errands  to  do. 

It  was  while  commenting  to  Jimmy  one  day  upon 
the  dearth  of  small  coin  aforesaid  that  the  Sporting 
Editor  mentioned  the  Dime  Savings  Fund. 

"What's  that?"  asked  Jimmy,  as  if  he  didn't 
really  care  much  what  it  was. 

"  That's  where  they  take  your  dimes,  keep  'em, 
and  pay  you  interest  on  all  you  have  there,"  said 
the  Sporting  Editor. 

"  Interest's  money,"  remarked  Jimmy  with  the 
air  of  one  noting  a  fact  long  known  to  him. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Sporting  Editor.  He  did  not 
heed  Jimmy's  eyes  bent  intently  on  him.  "  They 
give  two  per  cent  on  the  money  you  keep  in  the 
bank,"  he  added. 

"  Two  per  cent?  "  repeated  Jimmy.  His  tone  im 
plied  that  it  was  a  scandalously  low  figure. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  15 

"  Why,  two  cents  on  every  dollar  isn't  bad,  when 
you  put  in  only  a  dime  or  so  at  a  time,"  said  the 
Sporting  Editor. 

"  That's  so,"  reflected  Jimmy.  Then,  as  if  afraid 
that  this  change  of  opinion  might  imply  lack  of  prior 
consideration  of  the  subject :  "  But  they've  got 
y'r  money !  " 

"  But  it's  yours,  all  the  same,"  answered  the  Sport 
ing  Editor.  "  You  can  draw  it  out  any  time  you 
want  to." 

"  A  course,"  assented  Jimmy.  "  An'  they  ain't 
goin'  t'  steal  it." 

"No,"  said  the  Sporting  Editor;  "the  money's 
safe  there.  They're  honest  and  careful."  Then  he 
bethought  himself  of  work  to  do,  and  forgot  all 
about  the  Dime  Savings  Fund  and  Jimmy.  Jimmy 
made  no  effort  to  continue  the  conversation.  Ap 
parently,  his  brain  was  wholly  busy  with  a  calcula 
tion  how  soon  a  particular  cockroach  would  fall  off 
the  wall  on  the  Sporting  Editor's  head.  Presently 
he  walked  away,  whistling  softly. 

Several  weeks  after  this  some  one  remarked  upon 
the  continual  requests  made  by  the  office  boys  for 
ten  cent  pieces  in  exchange  for  nickels  or  pennies. 
One  day  Dan  Gallagher  was  questioned  on  this  point, 
and  excuses  failed  him.  "  Y'  won't  tell  anybody?  " 
he  said.  The  other  promised.  "  'T's  cause  Jimmy 
won't  take  anything  but  dimes,"  he  then  confessed. 

"  Jimmy  take  dimes  ?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  16 

"  Yes,  he  says  he  don't  want  nuthin'  else." 
"  But  what  do  you  give  'em  to  him  for?  " 
"  He  gives  us  a  cent  fur  every  ten  dimes  we  lend 
him  fur  a  year." 

"  What's  Jimmy  do  with  the  money?  " 
"  I  don't  know ;  he  won't  tell ;  an'  he  said  'f  we 
told  anybody  he'd  stop  givin'  us  th'  cent.    He's  got 
all  th'  boys  in  th'  office  in  it  an'  a  lot  a  fellers  out 
side." 

The  Sporting  Editor — for  he  was  doing  the  ques 
tioning — was  puzzled.  "  How  do  you  know  Jimmy 
'11  give  you  your  money  back  when  you  want  it  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Jimmy  said  he  would." 

The  simple  assertion  took  away  the  Sporting  Edi 
tor's  breath.  Here  was  something  novel.  To  plague 
Dan  he  said,  "  I'll  bet  Jimmy  '11  keep  that  money; 
he's  lying  to  you !  " 

"  No,  he's  not,"  returned  Dan  quickly.  It  was  an 
affirmation  of  faith  against  which  scepticism  was  of 
no  avail.  But  the  Sporting  Editor  was  curious,  and 
that  afternoon  he  asked  Jimmy  point  blank  what  he 
did  with  the  boys'  money. 

Jimmy's  face  fell.     "  Say !  they're  a  great  lot  a 
ducks ;  "  he  said  contemptuously.    "  They  can't  keep 
their  traps  shut  when  they  got  a  good  thing." 
"  But  what  becomes  of  the  money?  " 
"  It's  in  th'  bank,  that's  where  it  is,"  answered 
Jimmy  boldly.     His  eyes  challenged  criticism,  but 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  17 

the  Sporting  Editor  was  without  compunction.  Sud 
denly  recalling  his  conversation  about  the  Dime  Sav 
ings  Fund,  he  said,  "  So  you're  making  money  out 
of  them?" 

"  I'm  makin'  a  cent  on  every  ten  dimes,"  returned 
Jimmy.  "  Ain't  I  worked  th'  whole  game  out  ?  But 
y'  can  go  an'  blow  th'  thing  'f  y'  want  t'.  They  ain't 
got  th'  sense  t'  run  it  theirselves.  I  guess  they'll 
stick  by  me."  He  was  a  true  prophet.  If  the  Sport 
ing  Editor  told  what  he  knew,  nothing  came  of  it. 
Dan  beat  Jimmy  with  savage  delight  and  little  effect, 
but  he  trusted  his  word  absolutely,  and  so  did  the 
other  boys.  Besides,  Jimmy  had  a  persuasive 
tongue. 

It  was  that  nimble  member  which  enlisted  coopera 
tion  in  the  making  of  the  "  News  Junior."  The  ex 
istence  of  this  organ  of  public  opinion,  as  repre 
sented  by  the  six  office  boys  of  the  "  News  "  edi 
torial  rooms,  was  a  complete  secret  until,  elated  over 
a  certain  racy  contribution  to  its  columns,  Billy,  the 
newest  of  the  office  boys,  exhibited  a  specimen  copy 
to  the  News  Editor.  The  News  Editor,  who  was 
bald,  but  not  beyond  relish  of  a  joke,  was  upset  by 
the  exhibit. 

The  "  News  Junior  "  consisted  of  a  double  sheet 
of  "  copy "  paper  with  an  allegorical  heading  in 
pen-and-ink  work  showing  six  boys  in^  line  with 
their  thumbs  applied  to  their  separate  noses,  the 
fingers  outspread  in  the  direction  of  a  man  with 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  18 

blonde  hair  who  sat  at  a  desk.  A  tumbler  and  a 
bottle  labeled  "  Whiskey  "  on  the  said  desk  estab 
lished  the  identity  of  the  blonde-haired  man.  It  was 
the  assistant  City  Editor,  though  the  portrait  was  of 
indifferent  accuracy.  Below  this  heading  appeared 
an  article  describing  a  recent  unpleasant  episode  in 
the  "  News  "  office.  Pen-pictures  of  various  mem 
bers  of  the  staff  of  the  "  News  "  ornamented  odd 
corners  of  the  sheets,  and  the  diabolic  humor  of  the 
artist  had  assisted  a  close  observation  in  preserving 
some  things  which  the  subjects  of  the  drawings 
would  have  had  forgotten.  But  it  was  this  quatrain 
which  decided  the  News  Editor  on  his  duty : 

"  Bald  head  is  a  stiff 
Who  smokes  old  rope 
He  thinks  he  is  a  fine  writer 
But  he  needs  a  dose  of  dope.' 

"  Who  wrote  that?  "  asked  the  News  Editor. 

"  Jimmy,"  answered  the  new  boy,  frightened. 

"  Jimmy  writes  most  of  the  blamed  paper  ?  "  sug 
gested  the  News  Editor. 

"  Yes/'  said  the  new  boy,  greatly  relieved. 

The  News  Editor  knew  that  he  should  summon 
Jimmy  and  give  him  a  lecture.  But  he  had  a  whole 
some  fear  of  facing  him  with  that  quatrain  as  the 
subject  of  their  discourse.  He  decided  on  a  middle 
course.  "  Tell  Jimmy,"  he  said ;  "  that,  if  he  gets 
out  another  copy  of  the  '  News  Junior,'  I'll  report 
him."  He  tore  up  the  paper  into  fine  pieces.  After 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  ig 

that  the  "  News  Junior,"  which  had  been  meant 
for  private  circulation  only,  suspended  publication. 
But  Jimmy,  if  he  refused  all  association  with  the 
new  boy  thenceforth,  did  not  allow  the  incident  to 
disturb  him;  while  the  News  Editor,  for  several 
weeks,  bore  with  Job-like  patience  the  plagues 
that  his  conduct  merited.  If  his  ink-well  was  to  be 
filled  a  big  blot  was  left  upon  his  writing  pad — by 
some  one ;  if  he  needed  "  copy  "  paper  the  supply  of 
that  article  was  "  just  out/'  or,  what  was  brought, 
was  rumpled  or  dusty;  moreover,  his  shears  were 
constantly  disappearing,  his  mucilage  pot  regularly 
upset,  his  goloshes,  umbrella  or  hat  missing,  his 
messages  going  astray  or  getting  twisted,  his  copies 
of  the  other  newspapers  being  "borrowed,"  or  his 
tobacco  jar  knocked  over.  Nor  was  he  able  to  fix 
upon  the  guilty  party ;  or,  discovering  him,  to  prove 
anything  but  clumsiness  or  forgetfulness  on  the  cul 
prit's  part.  The  office  boys,  without  exception,  de 
veloped  a  fertility  of  excuse  that  was  phenomenal, 
while,  strange  to  say,  other  members  of  the  editorial 
staff,  at  this  particular  period,  were  loud  in  their 
praises  of  the  unusual  activity  and  intelligence  ex 
hibited  by.  the  boys.  Furthermore,  Jimmy  himself 
always  was  the  first  to  respond  to  the  News  Editor's 
cry  of  distress  or  exclamation  of  anger  or  disgust. 
Jimmy  condoled  with  the  sufferer  and  anathematized 
the  offender.  Yet  the  News  Editor  had  not  known 
Jimmy  for  a  year  for  nothing ;  and  Jimmy's  aid  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  20 

sympathy  made  him  writhe  inwardly,  and  silently 
swear  an  awful  vengeance,  if  he  ever  got  the  oppor 
tunity. 

But,  when  that  opportunity  arrived,  and  the  pass 
ing  of  Jimmy  from  the  "  News  "  office  came  about, 
the  News  Editor  found  only  his  admiration  chal 
lenged.  Jimmy  commanded  the  situation  to  the  very 
last. 

It  was  Fate  that  directed  Jimmy's  footsteps  on  that 
Saturday  afternoon  as  he  walked  out  of  an  up-town 
hall  where  the  Reformed  Christian  Adventists  were 
holding  an  all-day  convention  and  a  reporter  from 
the  "  News  "  was  writing  an  account  of  it ;  it  was 
Fate  that  made  him  take  a  zig-zag  course  afoot,  in 
stead  of  boarding  a  street  car  for  the  office,  as  he  had 
been  ordered  to  do.  But  Jimmy  discounted  Fate  in 
that  final  scene  when  he  took  the  shaping  of  his 
destiny  into  his  own  hands. 

As  Jimmy  turned  into  a  cross-town  street  he  saw 
a  boy  he  knew,  and  whistled  to  him.  The  boy,  at 
that  moment,  stepped  from  the  curb,  was  lightly 
struck  by  a  passing  wagon  and  knocked  down.  Jimmy 
was  the  first  one  by  his  side ;  and,  even  as  he  helped 
him  to  the  curbstone,  got  the  inspiration  which 
changed  the  current  of  his  life.  All  day  long  Jimmy 
had  been  trying  to  devise  means  to  get  to  the  circus. 
It  was  the  last  day  of  the  show  in  town,  and  a  press 
ticket  of  admittance  to  it  was  in  Jimmy's  pocket. 
But  it  had  been  a  busy  day  at  the  "  News  "  office, 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  21 

and  his  request  for  an  afternoon  off  had  been  re 
fused.  Now  Jimmy  saw  the  chance  to  secure  what 
he  wanted. 

"  'Re  y'  much  hurt?  "  he  asked  in  a  whisper. 

"  Naw !  "  replied  the  other  boy  scornfully. 

"  Say,  I'll  give  y'  a  nickel  t'  make  believe  y're  me," 
Jimmy  returned  instantly.  "  Jus'  give  em  my  name, 
an'  say  y'  got  t'  go  home, — an'  hand  em  this,"  he 
added.  He  slipped  the  "  News  "  reporter's  account 
of  the  morning  session  of  the  Reformed  Christian 
Adventists'  convention  into  the  other's  pocket. 

"  Give  us  yer  nickel,"  said  the  other  boy ;  and  got 
it  at  once. 

Jimmy  helped  the  other  boy  to  sit  on  the  curb 
stone.  A  policeman  came  up.  "  Much  hurt?"  he 
asked. 

"  Yes,  m'  leg  's  all  smashed,  I  guess,"  blubbered 
the  other  boy.  The  officer  felt  of  the  knee  joint. 
"  Ain't  broke,  I  don't  think,"  he  said.  "  What's  y'r 
name?  "  he  asked. 

"  Jimmy  Devlin,"  said  the  other  boy  promptly. 

"Where  do  y'  live?" 

The  other  boy  gave  Jimmy's  address ;  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  he  lived  near  Jimmy.  The  officer  was  about 
to  enter  the  name  and  address  in  his  note  book,  but 
Jimmy  remonstrated.  "  Say,  y'  don't  want  t'  do 
that,"  Jimmy  said.  "  If  his  pop  heard  'bout  him 
bein'  run  over  he'd  lick  him,"  he  explained,  indicat 
ing  the  other  boy. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  22 

"  Well,  it  was  all  his  own  fault,  anyway,"  agreed 
the  policeman.  Glad  to  be  rid  of  further  trouble,  he 
put  the  note  book  away. 

"  I'll  see  him  home/'  volunteered  Jimmy.  "  I  live 
near  him." 

"  Do  y'  think  y'  can  get  home  with  him?  "  asked 
the  officer.  The  other  boy  said  "  yes,"  and  tried  to 
get  to  his  feet.  But  Jimmy's  hand,  unobserved  by 
the  rest,  held  him  down,  and  Jimmy  whispered  out 
of  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  "  How  'bout  that 
'  copy  ?  '  "  And  aloud :  "  What  're  y'  goin'  t'  do  with 
that  story  y'  was  takin'  t'  th'  '  News  '  office?  Hadn't 
y'  better  send  that  down  by  a  messenger  ?  " 

The  other  boy  knew  that  he  was  expected  to  say 
"  yes,"  and  said  it.  "  All  right,"  said  Jimmy;  "  I'll 
send  it  off  fur  y',  and'  they'll  pay  th'  messenger  at 
th'  office.  An'  somebody  ought  t'  send  word  y'  're 
hurt  an'  can't  come  down  there  t'day."  Jimmy 
gave  an  appealing  glance  to  the  circle  of  faces  about 
him,  and  not  in  vain. 

"  I'll  send  th'  boy's  papers  and  word  that  he's  hurt, 
too,"  volunteered  a  druggist  whose  place  was  across 
the  street. 

"  Much  obliged,"  replied  Jimmy.  "  I'll  come  t' 
y'r  store,  an'  tell  y'  who  t'  send  word  t';  I  know 
th'  people  this  boy  works  fur,"  he  added.  "  You 
stay  here,"  he  said  to  the  other  boy;  "  I'll  be  back  in 
a  minute." 

"  That's  a  smart  boy,"  remarked  a  bystander,  as 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  23 

Jimmy  started  across  the  street.  "  And  a  good- 
hearted  one,  too,"  put  in  another.  "  Here,  here's  a 
quarter  for  you  and  your  friend,"  he  concluded. 
The  other  boy  took  the  quarter.  He  was  not  sur 
prised;  all  sorts  of  things  happened  when  Jimmy 
was  mixed  up  in  anything. 

Across  the  street  Jimmy  stood  beside  the  druggist 
and  told  him  what  to  say  in  his  note  to  the  "  News  " 
office.  "  Send  it  t'  th'  City  Editor,"  he  said.  "  An' 
tell  him,  please,  that  Jimmy  Devlin, — he'll  know  who 
it  is, — was  knocked  down  by  a  w^agon,  in  front  a 
y'r  store,  an'  hurted  so  he  can't  come  back  t'  th' 
office  t'day.  But  y'd  better  make  it  strong,  er  he 
won't  b'lieve  y' ;  they  're  awful  hard  on  their  boys, — 
so  Jimmy  says." 

"Never  you  fear,"  returned  the  druggist;  "I'll 
make  'em  believe  me.  Why,  I  guess  I  know  what 
happened;  didn't  I  see  the  boy  myself?  "  He  wrote 
the  note,  took  the  bundle  of  "  copy "  paper  from 
Jimmy,  and  said  he  would  send  them  both  off  at 
once.  Then  Jimmy  went  back  to  the  other  boy. 

When  they  were  around  the  corner,  out  of  sight  of 
the  crowd,  Jimmy  remarked :  "  How  'bout  that 
quarter?" 

"  Quarter?  "  repeated  the  other  boy.  He  spoke  as 
if  he  heard  the  word  for  the  first  time. 

"  Yes,  '  quarter' !  "  mimicked  Jimmy.  "  I  heard 
that  softy  in  th'  crowd  say,  '  here's  a  quarter  fur  y'u 
an'  y'r  friend.'  Come,  pull  it  out,  quick !  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  24 

"  Oh,  that  quarter !  "  returned  the  other  boy.  "  I 
was  goin'  t'  give  y'  half,  but  I  hadn't  th'  change." 

"  Here's  th'  change,"  said  Jimmy  immediately, 
and  he  handed  the  other  boy  twelve  cents.  Then  he 
tossed  a  coin  for  the  odd  cent  which  the  other  boy 
won. 

A  clock  struck  two.  Jimmy  dropped  the  other 
boy's  arm.  "  I'm  going,"  he  said.  "  But  don't  y' 
furget  that  y'  wasn't  hurt  an'  neither  was  I.  Here's 
that  twelve  cents  t'  help  y'  t'  remember  not  t'  say 
nuthin'  about  it.  'F  y'  do  say  anything  about  it — 
well,  I  ain't  furgot  who  it  was  broke  that  winder  in 
th'  Free  Breakfust  Club  buildin'  last  week.  Th' 
perlice  is  layin'  fur  th'  feller  that  done  that."  No, 
Jimmy  had  not  forgotten;  it  was  one  of  his  princi 
ples  not  to  forget — and  not  to  let  others  think  that 
he  had  forgotten.  Long  before,  he  had  discovered 
that  this  last  rule  of  action  was  most  effective  in  the 
affairs  of  the  world. 

Fifteen  minutes  after  Jimmy  left  the  other  boy 
he  was  deep  in  a  study  of  the  feats  in  equilibrium 
performed  by  a  beautiful  lady  in  pink  fleshings  and 
a  cloud  of  tulle  who  floated  over  a  piebald  horse. 
And,  so  engrossed  was  he  in  this  and  other  wonders 
that  took  place  in  the  tan-bark  circle  of  the  big  tent 
that,  for  once,  that  sensitive  sixth  sense  of  his  slum 
bered,  and  he  did  not  see  the  Assistant  City  Editor 
of  the  "  News,"  who,  with  his  wife  and  children, 
occupied  seats  two  rows  back  of  Jimmy  and  a  hun- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  25 

dred  feet  away.  Moreover,  it  was  only  when  the 
performance  was  over  that  the  Assistant  City  Editor 
saw  him.  An  umbrella  belonging  to  the  man  seated 
next  to  Jimmy  leaned  perilously  near  an  opening  in 
the  footboard  of  the  seats.  Jimmy's  foot,  unob 
served,  slyly  pushed  this  umbrella  until  it  slid  into 
the  opening  and  fell  to  the  ground,  five  feet  below. 
Then  Jimmy  offered  to  recover  it,  and  did  recover 
it  by  dropping  between  the  seats,  and  so  earned  ten 
cents  from  its  grateful  owner. 

It  was  when  he  emerged,  red-faced  and  trium 
phant,  that  the  Assistant  City  Editor  saw  him  wave 
the  captured  umbrella,  and  recognized  him,  and  said 
to  his  wife :  "  Why !  there's  our  Jimmy,  and  every 
one's  looking  at  him,  as  usual." 

And  Jimmy?  Alas!  Jimmy  neither  saw  the 
speaker,  nor  heard  his  voice. 

It  was  Monday  noon  that  the  news  of  his  doom 
reached  Jimmy's  ears.  The  City  Editor  of  the 
"  News,"  always  alert  to  advertise  his  paper,  had  seen 
in  Jimmy's  devotion  to  his  duty  a  chance  to  make 
a  telling  little  story.  Wherefore,  he  had  directed 
Mackey,  who  was  clever  at  that  sort  of  thing,  to  write 
a  quarter  of  a  column  about  Jimmy's  mishap  and 
how  his  first  thought  had  been  to  get  to  his  paper  the 
report  he  was  carrying.  The  story  was  told  with 
realistic  touches  and  a  sense  of  the  pathetic  that 
made  it  very  effective ;  it  appeared  under  a  half-dis 
play  heading  on  the  page  devoted  to  city  news. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  26 

On  Monday  afternoon  one  of  the  other  office  boys 
Showed  this  story  to  Jimmy  as  he  limped  about,  re 
ceiving  with  becoming  unconcern  inquiries  con 
cerning  his  accident.  Jimmy  read  the  story,  and, 
then,  went  to  Mackey  and  thanked  him  for  writing 
it.  "  Why,  y'  might  a  seen  th'  whole  thing/'  he  de 
clared.  "  It's  jus'  e'zacly  like  it  was." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  "  Mackey  replied  in  an  abstracted 
tone;  but,  secretly,  he  was  flattered.  Jimmy's  praise 
was  something,  and  Jimmy's  enmity — well — no  one 
in  the  office  courted  that. 

It  was  just  after  Jimmy  had  left  Mackey  that 
Dan  Gallagher,  who  was  much  in  the  City  Editor's 
private  office,  hurried  into  the  Sporting  room  where 
Jimmy  was  relating  his  experiences,  and  told  the 
dreadful  news. 

Jimmy  was  to  be  "  fired ! "  Yes,  it  was  certainly 
so.  Even  Jimmy's  easy  laugh  and  scornful  words 
did  not  convince  them  that  Dan  was  lying.  Dan 
himsdf  had  heard  the  City  Editor  announce  Jimmy's 
fate.  It  was  after  the  Assistant  City  Editor  at  lunch 
hour  had  glanced  over  the  late  edition  of  Saturday's 
paper  and  read  the  account  of  Jimmy's  heroic  con 
duct.  Following  this  he  had  whistled,  and  asked  the 
City  Editor  why  he  chose  Jimmy  for  that  "  fake." 
Then  came  explanations  from  both  sides, — and  the 
City  Editor  cut  short  ensuing  argument  by  the  ex 
plicit  statement,  "  I'll  discharge  Jimmy,  Friday 
next!  This  thing's  gone  on  long  enough.  Jimmy 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  27 

may  be  smart;  he's  too  smart,  anyway,  for  this 
shop." 

Jimmy  heard  the  news  without  comment.  Except 
for  a  slight  twitching  at  the  corners  of  his  eyes  he 
gave  no  visible  sign  that  he  had  not  known  about  all 
this  long  before.  But,  from  that  moment,  he  be 
came  an  object  of  fresh  interest  to  the  other  boys. 
They  watched  him  as  they  would  have  watched  a 
strange  animal.  They  were  sorry  for  him,  there 
fore  they  began  to  bait  him;  it  was  the  only  way  to 
cover  a  sympathetic  front,  which  would  have  been 
an  embarrassment. 

"  I  knowed  y'd  get  '  fired,'  "  said  Dan.  "  I  bet 
John  y'  would,  a  week  ago ;  didn't  I,  John  ?  "  John 
said  "  yes,"  though  he  hadn't  heard  of  the  bet  be 
fore. 

"  Then  y'  got  t'  pay  him — now/'  declared  Jimmy, 
quick  as  a  flash.  "  How  much  did  y'  bet,  Dan  ?  " 

"  Two  cents — a — a — nickel,"  stumbled  Dan, 
taken  off  his  guard. 

"  Shell  out  th'  nickel,  John !  "  commanded  Jimmy, 
and,  when  John  demurred,  he  added,  "  He's  got  t' 
pay  it,  hasn't  he,  boys  ? "  They  were  grinning, 
but  they  supported  Jimmy's  decision,  and  John  gave 
up  the  nickel  which  Dan  pocketed  sheepishly.  After 
that  there  was  no  more  said  of  bets  having  been 
made  on  the  question  of  Jimmy's  discharge.  In 
deed,  the  fun  of  badgering  Jimmy  suddenly  lost  its 
edge.  Admiration  of  the  distinction  which  had 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  28 

fallen  upon  him  was  increased  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  bore  himself. 

But  Jimmy  withdrew  himself  from  the  crowd, 
and,  for  ten  minutes,  managed  to  secure  privacy  in 
the  Library,  where,  with  legs  swinging  from  a  table, 
he  did  some  hard  thinking. 

Then  he  slid  from  the  table,  found  pen,  ink  and 
paper,  and  secured  a  quiet  corner.  There,  for  twenty 
minutes,  he  was  very  busy.  He  wrote  with  frequent 
and  lengthy  pauses,  his  head  cocked  on  one  side,  his 
lips  spelling  the  words  he  put  on  paper.  Anyone, 
knowing  Jimmy  and  watching  him  now,  would 
have  predicted  startling  developments  shortly.  But 
no  one  came  upon  him,  and,  when  he  had  finished,  he 
put  what  he  had  written  into  his  pocket ;  and,  for  the 
rest  of  the  working  day,  preserved  an  inscrutable 
silence. 

Jimmy  knew  that  he  would  be  officially  informed 
of  his  discharge  as  soon  as  the  postscript  edition  of 
the  "  News  "  was  on  the  presses.  There  was  a  half 
hour  then  in  which,  for  lack  of  something  more 
pressing  to  do,  the  City  Editor  said  the  unpleasant 
things  he  had  to  say.  Therefore,  when  he  saw  the 
City  Editor  come  out  of  the  composing  room,  where 
he  had  been  assisting  in  "  making  up  the  forms  " 
for  the  postscript  edition,  Jimmy  slid  out  of  the 
Sporting  Editor's  room  so  quietly  that  no  one  no 
ticed  his  going.  He  lingered  a  moment  in  the  hall 
way,  then  walked  into  the  City  Editor's  office. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  29 

Mr.  Carp,  the  City  Editor  was  at  his  desk.  On 
one  side  of  him  sat  a  man  whose  big  head,  heavy 
features,  keen  eyes  and  shock  of  black  hair  were  as 
familiar  to  Jimmy  as  to  everyone  who  enjoyed  an 
acquaintance  with  public  characters.  Beside  him, 
on  a  chair,  was  his  inevitable  shining  silk  hat,  and  in 
his  thick  fingers  was  a  half-smoked  cigar.  He  had 
been  talking  earnestly  to  the  City  Editor,  and  Jimmy 
knew  that  Bill  Brady,  political  leader  of  the  Twelfth 
Ward  and  one-time  bully,  had  been  registering  a 
"  kick  "  against  something  that  the  "  News  "  had 
said  or  left  unsaid.  The  News  Editor,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  desk,  was  secretly  enjoying  the  encounter. 

The  City  Editor  was  in  a  bad  humor,  and,  as 
Jimmy  entered,  gave  him  a  sour  glance,  and  snapped 
out,  "  Get  away  from  here,  boy!  I  didn't  ring." 

But  Jimmy  stood  his  ground.  He  held  out  an 
envelope.  "  Here's  a  letter  I  wanted  t'  give  y' ;  it's 
important,"  he  said  boldly. 

The  City  Editor  snatched  away  the  envelope,  and 
told  Jimmy  to  go,  which  Jimmy  did  not  do.  In 
stead  he  crossed  his  legs  and  leaned  against  the 
door-frame,  threw  a  wink  at  the  News  Editor  and, 
then,  began  a  study  of  the  City  Editor's  face  as  the 
latter  read  the  letter. 

What  Jimmy  saw  there  seemed  to  gratify  him  im 
mensely.  Impatience,  perplexity,  amazement  chased 
one  another  across  the  City  Editor's  countenance. 
He  grew  almost  apoplectic — unfortunately,  his  sens/a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  30 

of  humor  was  scant.  Suddenly,  he  threw  up  his 
head  and  glared  at  Jimmy.  "  What's  all  this  damned 
nonsense?  "  he  roared. 

"  It's  my  resignation  from  th'  '  Evenin'  News  ' — 
t'  take  effect  t'night,"  said  Jimmy  calmly;  then  he 
turned  and  sauntered  out  of  the  room. 


CHAPTER  II  31 

WHEN  Jimmy  withdrew  himself  from  the 
private  office  of  the  City  Editor  of  the 
"  News,"  after  presenting  his  resigna 
tion,  he  left  three  men  in  a  condition  of  stupefaction. 
The  City  Editor  was  stricken  into  silence  by  the 
audacity  of  the  thing;  the  News  Editor  mutely 
marveled  at  the  ingenuity  which  had  enabled  Jimmy 
to  save  himself  from  discharge;  Bill  Brady,  who 
dimly  comprehended  what  the  boy  had  done,  revelled 
in  admiration.  The  trick  appealed  to  him,  as  a 
politician,  by  its  cleverness  and  the  equanimity  with 
which  it  had  been  performed.  There  was  no  doubt 
in  the  minds  of  these  witnesses  to  the  scene;  Jimmy 
had  retired,  master  of  the  situation.  He  was  no 
longer  an  office  boy  in  the  employ  of  the  "  News," 
but  he  had  left  behind  him  documentary  evidence 
that  he  had  voluntarily  retired  from  that  position, 
and  that,  too,  in  a  formal  and  dignified  manner. 

The  City  Editor,  who  felt  that  he  had  come  off 
badly  in  the  encounter,  presently,  found  voice  to  say, 
"  That  little  limb  of  Satan !  His  resignation !  "  At 
this  word  he  sputtered.  "He  resigns!  does  he? 

Well,  I'll  be  !"     Expletives  failing  him,  he 

relapsed  into  silence. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  32 

The  News  Editor  wanted  to  shout;  but  under 
stood  that  his  mirth  would  not  be  appreciated.  Bill 
Brady,  however,  had  no  such  fear.  "  What  did  he 
write,  anyway?"  he  asked.  The  City  Editor,  not 
realizing  that  he  was  completing  Jimmy's  triumph, 
permitted  the  other  to  pick  up  the  letter  of  resigna 
tion. 

Bill  Brady  glanced  at  the  single  sheet  of  paper. 
Then,  as  he  found  it  helpful  to  do  when  arriving  at 
an  understanding  of  what  was  written  or  printed,  he 
read  it  aloud.  It  was  as  follows: 

"  Mr.  W.  S.  CARP,  Esq., 

"  City  Editor  of  The  Evening  News: 

"  Dear  Sir :  I  am  thinkin  of  enturin  in  anuther  pur- 
fession  soon  and  I  find  I  must  hand  in  my  Resigna- 
shun  from  the  staff  of  the  Evening  News.  We  have 
bin  in  this  news  paper  bisness  fur  over  a  year  and 
four  months  and  I  am  sorry  We  must  part,  fur  we 
have  passed  many  plesant  hours  in  each  uthers 
socierty.  But  you  know  bisness  work  makes  us  part 
sometimes  with  our  frens  so  I  will  say  good  by  to 
you  with  kind  wishes  that  you  may  sucseed  and  sum 
day  purhaps  get  a  good  pusition 

"  Yours  very  truly 

"  J.  DEVLIN." 

"  P.  S.  N.  B. — Im  sorry  if  my  goin  away  frum  you 
jus  now  makes  it  hard  to  get  out  the  News  but  I 
have  to  leave  tonight  sure.  The  new  boy  mite  do 
fur  my  place.  If  you  do  that  try  the  assistunt  City 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  33 

Editor  in  the  new  boys  place.     You  dont  have  to 
know  much  in  the  new  boys  place. 

"  Yours 

"  J.  DEVLIN." 

The  News  Editor,  at  this  point,  found  that  his 
presence  was  instantly  demanded  elsewhere.  The 
City  Editor,  upon  whom  a  faint  appreciation  of  the 
humor  of  the  thing  was  beginning  to  steal,  was 
cudgelling  his  brain  to  find  something  to  say  that 
would  save  him  from  ridicule.  Bill  Brady  had  taken 
up  his  hat  and  was  smoothing  the  silk.  Suddenly, 
he  arose.  "  Guess  I'll  go,"  he  said.  "  Try  an'  do 
what  I  asked  y'."  Then,  laying  down  the  letter  he 
had  read  aloud,  he  asked,  "That  boy,  Jimmy; 
where's  he  t'  be  found?  " 

"  God  knows !  "  answered  the  City  Editor  for  lack 
of  something  better  to  say. 

"  Well,  that  boy  '11  get  ahead,"  remarked  Brady 
sagely,  and,  with  that,  he  walked  out.  But,  at  the 
end  of  the  hallway,  he  halted  where  Jimmy  was  the 
center  of  a  ring  of  boys.  "  Jimmy  Devlin,"  he  said, 
"  y'  know  who  I  am.  Well,  you  come  up  t'  my  place 
tomorrow;  I  want  t'  have  a  talk  with  y'." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Jimmy. 

"  Gee  whiskers !  "  remarked  one  of  the  boys  when 
Brady  had  gone.  "  Mebbe  y'll  get  a  job  frum  him." 

"  Maybe,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  Pol'tics  's  a  good 
business;  an' — pol'ticians  boss  th'  newspapers,"  he 
added. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  34 

Half  an  hour  later  Jimmy,  leaning  against  the 
wall  of  a  big  building,  a  dozen  blocks  uptown,  was 
smoking  a  contemplative  cigarette  when  two  boys 
shot  around  the  corner  and  made  for  opposite  sides 
of  the  street.  One  of  them  clutched  an  evening 
newspaper,  and  ran  to  save  this  and  his  skin.  The 
other  fled  for  reasons  of  personal  safety  only. 
Twenty  feet  behind  them  came  a  girl  of  fourteen 
with  legs  of  extraordinary  thinness  and  length.  Un 
der  one  arm  she  hugged  a  bundle  of  newspapers,  the 
other  arm,  which  stuck  far  out  from  the  sleeve  of 
her  calico  dress,  worked  like  the  piston  rod  of  an 
engine  and,  to  such  good  effect,  that  she  overhauled 
the  boy  with  the  newspaper  when  fifty  feet  from 
where  Jimmy  stood.  In  a  dozen  seconds  she  had 
torn  away  the  newspaper  from  the  thief,  dealt  him 
a  box  on  the  ear  that  sent  him  staggering,  and 
whirled  about  to  chase  the  other  boy.  But  he  now 
was  beyond  her  reach,  and  she  contented  herself 
with  hurling  at  him,  "  I'll  smack  y'r  face,  Splint, 
if  y'  ever  come  on  my  street  again !  "  Then  she 
rubbed  the  newspaper  on  her  knee  to  take  out  the 
creases  in  it,  slipped  it  into  the  bundle  of  papers, 
turned  to  retrace  her  steps,  and  caught  sight  of 
Jimmy. 

"  Hello,  Jimmy !  "  she  said.  "  See  me  smash  that 
Pete  Sims?" 

"Yes,"  said  Jimmy;  "but  I  thought  y'  wasn't 
goin'  t'  catch  him.  I  was  jus'  comin'  t'  help  y'." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  35 

'"Huh!"  remarked  the  girl.  "A  lot  of  help 
you'd  bin !  Pete  'd  a  licked  y' !  " 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  returned  Jimmy  loftily. 
And,  then,  "Coin'  home?" 

"'Re  you?" 

"  Yes." 

"I  ain't!    Goodbye!" 

"  Neither  'm  I;  I'll  go  'long  with  yV 

"  Don't  want  y'." 

"  Yes,  y'  do."  To  prove  that  he  was  right  Jimmy 
wet  his  finger,  carefully  extinguished  his  cigarette, 
put  it  into  his  pocket,  and  fell  in  beside  her.  Kate 
Mayne  had  yet  to  learn  that  he  had  resigned  from  the 
"  News  "  and  had  an  appointment  with  a  politician 
for  the  next  day;  and,  standing  where  he  did  with 
her,  it  was  proper  that  she  should  be  told  these  things 
at  once. 

Kate  Mayne  was  Jimmy's  "  steady."  That  is, 
if  the  vigorous  exceptions  filed  by  Marcus  Doran 
were  set  aside.  The  relation  was  of  two  years' stand 
ing,  and  it  had  begun  in  the  rear  basement  of  the 
"  News  "  building. 

At  that  time  the  boys  and  girls  who  sold  the 
"  News  "  on  the  street  got  their  papers  daily  at  the 
same  counters.  Ten  minutes  before  each  edition  be 
gan  to  come  hot  from  the  presses,  a  pushing,  noisy 
mob  of  boys  and  girls  besieged  the  distribution 
counters.  Things  are  better  regulated  now;  but,  as 
it  was  then,  those  crowds  gave  fine  chance  to  spirits 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  36 

more  mischievous  than  polite.  It  was  a  favorite 
amusement  with  the  boys  to  pinch  the  legs  of  the 
score  or  more  of  girls  who  fought  their  way  into  the 
pack;  and  the  diversion  was  the  more  enjoyed  be 
cause  it  was  practically  impossible  to  fix  upon  the 
offender  when  all  were  so  jammed  together. 

One  afternoon,  while  shrieks  of  pain  and  the 
smack  of  hands  from  a  dozen  points  in  this  crowd 
informed  the  initiated  that  many  little  girls  were 
being  made  exceedingly  unhappy,  Jimmy,  who  had 
forced  himself  well  to  the  front,  suddenly  received 
a  sharp  nip  on  one  of  his  calves,  and  turned  his  head 
so  quickly  that  he  caught  a  smaller  boy  behind  him 
in  the  very  act  of  withdrawing  his  hand.  Jimmy 
had  the  boy  by  the  neck  instantly,  and  was  about  to 
deal  out  that  horrible  punishment  known  as  a 
"  Dutch  rub,"  when  the  offender  vehemently  pro 
tested  that  he  had  pinched  Jimmy  by  mistake.  In 
proof  of  this  he  called  attention  to  the  fact  that, 
shoulder  to  shoulder  with  Jimmy,  stood  a  girl.  "  I 
meant  t'  pinch  her,"  the  boy  hastened  to  say.  "  I 
got  y'r  legs  mixed  up.  Her  legs  an'  yourn  look  jus' 
alike." 

Jimmy  gave  a  glance  to  the  girl's  legs,  and  in 
stantly  administered  the  "  Dutch  rub  "  with  a  double 
dose  of  knuckling.  For,  there  was  no  doubt  about  it, 
his  legs  and  those  of  the  girl  were  remarkably  alike. 
If  anything  could  be  so,  the  girl's  were  thinner  than 
his.  When  he  had  let  the  offender  go  he  glared  at 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  37 

the  girl.  It  was  a  stare  of  contempt;  it  was  intended 
to  show  her  that  the  boy  who  had  just  made  such  a 
dreadful  mistake  was  as  blind  as  a  bat,  and  that  he 
(Jimmy)  was  properly  scornful  of  the  comparison. 
But  the  look  failed  to  wither  the  girl.  She  made  a 
telescope  of  one  hand,  and  pretended  to  peer  at 
Jimmy's  legs. 

"  I  don't  b'lieve  y'  was  pinched/'  she  said  with  a 
sniff.  "  They  ain't  nuthin'  underneath  y'  t'  pinch." 

Jimmy  did  not  know  that  it  was  the  spark  of 
youthful  love  which  fired  up  in  his  cheeks  as  he 
heard  this  scathing  sarcasm;  he  only  knew  that  he 
was  hot  with  righteous  anger  and — impotent.  Yes, 
impotent;  for  Jimmy's  manhood  had  attained  that 
stage  where  a  blow  to  a  girl  was  out  of  the  question, 
and,  for  a  moment,  his  speech  failed  him.  In  that 
moment  he  took  in  the  girl  with  what  was  meant 
to  be  a  pitying  glance. 

Kate  Mayne  was  slightly  taller  than  himself, 
which  was  not  saying  much,  and  was  all  legs  and 
arms.  Her  dress  long  ago  had  given  up  trying  to 
live  up  to  her  length  of  limb,  while  her  shoes,  if  they 
held  together,  would  be  large  enough  for  her  to 
wear  for  several  years  to  come.  Her  hair  was  in  a 
thick  pig-tail  down  her  back,  her  face  was  thin,  her 
skin  dead  white,  her  nose  small  and  straight.  Her 
mouth  drooped  at  the  corners,  and  this  and  her 
eyes,  which  were  large  and  gray  and  watchful,  were 
the  only  things  that  made  an  immediate  impression 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  38 

on  Jimmy.  He  thought  that  her  eyes  and  mouth 
were  scornful,  and,  to  his  amazement,  completely 
lost  control  of  his  temper.  He  burst  out  in  a  volley 
of  adjectives  that  made  him  helpless  before  her. 

She  regarded  him  warily,  half  expecting  an  at 
tack  with  his  fists.  When  he  used  only  words  and 
very  blundering  ones  at  that,  she  grew  courageous 
and  witty.  "Oh,  my!"  she  said,  addressing  the 
crowd.  "  Jus'  hear  them  words  he's  usin' !  Wonder 
who  learned  'em  t'  him?  Don't  nobody  pinch  his 
legs  again,  or  he'll  blow  up." 

Thereupon,  Jimmy,  for  one  of  the  few  times  in 
his  life,  retreated.  He  pretended  that  he  wanted  to 
catch  and  do  injury  to  the  boy  who  had  pinched 
him,  but  that  was  a  transparent  fraud.  And  so  be 
gan  his  acquaintance  with  Kate  Mayne,  How  it 
came  about  that  secret  admiration  of  her  defeat  of 
him  and  a  certain  liking  for  her  vigorous  independ 
ence  made  him  attach  himself  to  her  and  become  her 
"  steady  "  need  not  be  chronicled  at  length.  Certain 
it  is  that  this  happened. 

It  was  for  sake  of  her  that  he  mastered  his  detesta 
tion  of  "  Sneak  "  Patterson  and  got  him  into  the 
"  News "  dinner  and  entertainment  on  Christmas 
day.  '"Sneak"  was  a  bootblack.  Only  boys  who 
bought  ten  copies  of  the  "  News  "  daily  for  two 
weeks  previous  to  Christmas  received  tickets  of  ad 
mission  to  the  dinner  and  entertainment.  More 
over,  these  tickets  were  in  great  demand;  for  both 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  39 

dinner  and  entertainment  were  extraordinary  affairs. 
But  Kate  was  sorry  for  "  Sneak  "  because  he  had  a 
club  foot  and  was  bow-legged.  She  came  to  Jimmy 
three  weeks  before  Christmas.  "  Sneak  wants  t'  go 
t'  th'  dinner,"  she  said.  "  You  get  him  in."  Then 
she  ran  to  sell  a  paper  to  a  man  who  had  whistled  to 
her,  and  did  not  mention  the  subject  to  Jimmy  again. 

But  Jimmy  knew  that  Kate  had  told  "  Sneak  "  that 
he  should  go  to  the  dinner — such  was  her  superb 
confidence  in  Jimmy.  And,  as  he  had  not  refused  to 
do  what  she  asked,  he  intended  to  do  it.  That  he 
could  fail  never  entered  his  head.  It  was  simply 
a  question  of  ways  and  means.  That  was  the  habit 
of  Jimmy.  It  was  always :  How  shall  I  do  it  ? 
never,  Can  I? 

So  it  was  that  "  Sneak  "  got  word,  a  few  days 
later,  to  line  up  at  the  distribution  counters  of  the 
"  News,"  and  buy  ten  copies  of  the  postcript  edition 
of  that  paper.  Jimmy  put  the  seven  cents  necessary 
thereto  into  "  Sneak's  "  hand  just  as  he  made  the 
purchase.  Even  "  Sneak's  "  club  foot  and  bow-legs 
were  not  a  guarantee  of  his  honesty.  Jimmy  fol 
lowed  him  closely  to  the  street. 

"  Give  us  those  '  Newses  ',"  he  demanded.  "  An' 
come  back  t'morrow  an'  do  th'  same  thing.  I'll  give 
y'  th'  money."  Then  Jimmy  went  off,  and  "  hustled  " 
to  get  rid  of  his  extra  load. 

The  following  day  "  Sneak  "  again  was  on  hand, 
and  the  performance  was  repeated ;  and  so  each  day 

V 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  40 

until  Christmas.  After  a  few  days  one  "  Snapper  " 
Smith  recognized  "  Sneak  "  just  as  he  was  buying 
his  papers,  and  told  the  distributing  agent :  "  Say, 
this  feller  aint  no  news-boy!  He's  jus'  buyin' 
1  Newses '  t'  get  int'  th'  dinner."  Later,  when 
"Snapper"  had  seen  the  transfer  of  "Sneak's" 
papers  to  Jimmy,  he  proclaimed  at  the  distributing 
counter  how  the  trick  was  done. 

But  the  man  at  the  counter  only  laughed  at 
Jimmy ;  and  Jimmy  himself,  at  the  Christmas  dinner, 
took  pains  to  make  "  Snapper  "  remember  the  inci 
dent.  "  Snapper  "  had  put  a  quarter  of  a  pumpkin 
pie  under  his  cap,  having  eaten  all  he  could  at  one 
time.  Jimmy  saw  him  conceal  the  pie,  and  waited 
until  "  Snapper  "  was  directly  opposite  Mr.  Mechlin, 
the  circulation  manager.  Then,  with  a  terrific  swing, 
he  brought  down  the  flat  of  his  hand  plump  on 
"  Snapper's  "  cap,  and  "  Snapper  "  stood  a  knave  re 
vealed,  while  pumpkin  pie  shampoo  guttered  down 
his  face. 

Kate  Mayne,  who  had  seen  the  occurrence,  widely 
circulated  a  circumstantial  account  of  it.  She  also 
said,  "  Did  y'  see  '  Sneak  '  Patterson  at  th'  dinner? 
He  was  there;  Jimmy  got  him  in." 

Jimmy  heard  this  and  was  satisfied  that  he  had 
done  well.  Marcus  Doran  scoffed  at  Jimmy's  trick. 
"  Why,  that  ain't  nuthin,"  he  said.  "  Anyone  could 
a  done  that.  Th'  '  News '  people  's  easy  fruit !  " 
But,  then,  Marcus  was  prejudiced.  Praise  of  Jimmy 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  41 

stung  him ;  praise  of  Jimmy  by  Kate  rankled  in  his 
breast  a  long  time. 

Marcus  Doran  was  sixteen.  He  had  been  a  news 
boy  once,  but,  from  the  moment  he  got  a  place  in  the 
office  of  a  cement  company,  he  held  the  honorable 
trade  of  newspaper  vending  as  unworthy.  He  lived 
near  Kate  Mayne,  and  cherished  an  admiration  of 
her  which  he  did  not  hesitate  to  let  her  see.  Thus 
Jimmy  and  he  were  rivals,  though  Jimmy  never  ac 
knowledged  it.  Marcus  had  thrashed  Jimmy  re 
peatedly;  it  was  his  confession  of  Jimmy's  equality 
and,  again,  a  reminder  that,  when  the  lion  roared, 
all  other  beasts,  and  Jimmy  in  particular,  must 
keep  silence.  But,  though  Marcus  was  big  and 
strong  and  promised  to  have  good  looks,  all  of  which 
Jimmy  was  not,  Jimmy  was  the  Ulysses.  Marcus's 
supply  of  bad  words  and  a  certain  knavish  clever 
ness  were  poor  weapons  against  Jimmy.  Further 
more,  Marcus  was  vain. 

It  did  not  take  Jimmy  long  to  discover  this,  and 
he  made  frequent  use  of  it.  One  evening  in  July 
Marcus  had  stolen  a  march  on  Jimmy,  and  was 
sitting  with  Kate  on  a  deserted  wharf,  on  the  river 
front,  where  cool  breezes  came  up  from  the  bay,  and 
they  were  alone.  It  was  a  place  and  hour  for  the 
opening  of  hearts,  and  Marcus  had  begun  to  tell 
Kate  certain  things  of  import  when  a  familiar  voice 
behind  them  remarked,  "  He's  a  lyin' !  " 

"  Who's  a  lyin'  ?  "  demanded  Marcus  aggressively. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  42 

"  Some  feller  I  jus'  seen  a  fishin'  over  there/'  an 
swered  Jimmy  coolly,  and  sat  down  on  the  other  side 
of  Kate. 

"  You  get  out  a  here !  "  ordered  Marcus. 

"What  fur?"  replied  Jimmy. 

"  'Cause  we  don't  want  y';  do  we,  Kate?"  re 
turned  Marcus.  It  was  a  dangerous  appeal.  Jimmy 
understood  feminine  fickleness  well  enough  for  that, 
and  he  hastened  to  say,  "  Oh!  y'  got  a  cinch  on  her, 
have  y'  ?  "  and  started  to  his  feet. 

"  No,  he  ain't,  neither,"  put  in  Kate  quickly. 
Jimmy  waited. 

Marcus  was  disgruntled.  "  I  come  down  here  with 
y',"  he  complained. 

"  Well,"  said  Jimmy;  "  I  got  somethin'  else  t'  do, 
anyway.  I'm  goin'  t'  swim  acrost  th'  river." 

"  Y'll  get  drowned,"  mocked  Kate. 

"  Huh!  'taint  nuthin'  t'  swim  acrost!  "  said  Mar 
cus. 

"  Big  talk!"   remarked  Jimmy. 

"  Bet  I  can  do  it !  "  returned  Marcus. 

"  I'll  beat  y'  acrost," 

Marcus  was  loth  to  lose  his  place  beside  Kate. 
"  Don't  want  t' — now,"  he  said. 

"  Y're  afraid !    I  dasied  y' !  "  taunted  Jimmy. 

That  settled  it.  "  I'll  beat  y'  there  an'  back,"  re 
plied  Marcus  at  once.  To  be  "  dasied  "  before  Kate 
was  not  to  be  borne.  "  You  stay  here  an'  watch," 
he  said  to  Kate. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  43 

Jimmy  followed  him  over  the  edge  of  the  wharf. 
On  a  swinging  platform  there  they  took  off  their 
clothes,  and  slipped  into  the  river.  They  struck  out 
for  mid-stream.  It  was  a  moonlight  night  and 
quiet,  except  for  the  churning  of  the  propeller  of  a 
passing  boat  or  the  screech  of  a  tug's  whistle. 
Marcus  waved  a  gleaming  arm  at  Kate.  He  was 
pulling  away  from  Jimmy  with  long,  powerful 
strokes.  "  Say,  this  is  fine !  "  he  yelled,  and  blew  a 
spray  of  water  from  his  lips.  He  enjoyed  the  cool 
touch  of  the  waves,  and  forgot  Kate,  for  the  time 
being. 

Not  so  Jimmy.  "  I'll  beat  y'  over !  Y'll  never  get 
acrost !  "  he  called  to  Marcus.  "  Y're  playin'  out 
already!" 

Marcus  laughed  scornfully,  and  set  himself 
steadily  to  the  work  of  forging  ahead.  He  did  not 
look  back  again.  He  resolved  to  make  the  double 
trip  fast  enough  to  have  ten  minutes  with  Kate  be 
fore  Jimmy  got  in.  Never,  indeed,  had  Jimmy  swam 
so  slowly  as  now.  Why,  Jimmy  had  been  so  far  out 
stripped  already  that  Marcus  no  longer  was  able  to 
hear  his  breathing!  He  must  be  fifty  feet  behind. 

Yes,  thrice  fifty  feet,  if  Marcus  had  known  it; 
for,  Jimmy,  for  several  minutes  past,  had  been  lustily 
swimming  in-shore,  and  soon  was  clambering  on  the 
platform  beneath  the  wharf.  When  he  had  pulled 
on  his  clothes  he  climbed  up  and  walked  over  to 
where  Kate  still  sat. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  44 

She  was  not  surprised  to  see  him ;  she  had  known 
Jimmy  for  some  time.  "  Where's  Marc?'1*  she 
asked,  laughing. 

"  'Bout  half  way  over/'  answered  Jimmy,  squeez 
ing  the  water  out  of  the  bottoms  of  his  trouser 
legs. 

"  Don't  get  me  wet,  now !  "  admonished  Kate,  as 
he  came  over  and  sat  down.  Jimmy  made  no  reply 
at  the  moment;  yet,  so  persuasive  was  his  tongue, 
that,  after  they  had  sat  there  for  ten  minutes  and 
wondered  how  Marcus  was  progressing,  Kate  agreed 
with  him  that  it  was  foolish  to  wait  for  the  latter, 
and  they  took  their  departure.  What  Marcus  said 
when  he  returned  is  not  on  record. 

But,  if  this  incident  gives  a  better  idea  of  Jimmy's 
strategy  than  of  his  prowess  in  the  water,  the  latter 
was  not  to  be  scoffed  at.  Jimmy  could  swim  and 
swim  well,  and  he  had  pluck.  Also,  he  had  his  poses. 
In  evidence  of  this  was  that  afternoon  when  he  was 
fishing  from  a  wharf,  and  a  canoe  capsized,  a  hun 
dred  yards  out  in  the  river.  In  the  canoe  had  been  a 
boy, — Joe  Cans, — the  son  of  a  merchant  who  lived 
in  Jimmy's  neighborhood.  Jimmy  saw  the  capsize, 
and  in  fifteen  minutes,  had  the  boy  on  shore.  The 
latter  was  weakly  thankful.  He  knew  Jimmy  by 
sight  and  name,  and  wanted  him  to  come  to  his  home 
and  see  his  father.  But  quite  a  little  crowd  of  Sun 
day  loiterers  had  gathered  at  the  spot,  and  Jimmy, 
hearing  their  words  of  praise,  suddenly  remem- 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  45 

bered  a  story  he  had  read  in  the  newspaper  of  a  brave 
boy  who  rescued  someone,  and  resolutely  refused 
reward.  The  rescuer  had  been  called  "  a  modest 
young  hero."  The  terms  appealed  to  Jimmy;  he  de 
termined  to  earn  them  now  for  himself.  So  he 
stuck  his  hands  into  his  pockets,  and  declared, 
"  'Taint  nuthin.  I  wouldn't  take  no  reward.  I 
pulled  out  lots  o'  people  bigger'n  you  're."  Then  he 
pretended  to  return  to  his  fishing;  and  listened  all 
the  while  to  what  was  said  about  him.  Nor  did  he 
forget  the  day,  or  the  name  of  the  boy  he  had  pulled 
out,  or  the  two  men  he  knew  who  had  seen  him  do  it. 
He  was  only  disappointed  when  no  mention  of  the 
episode  was  made  in  the  newspapers. 

In  fact  the  newspapers  did  not  treat  Jimmy  well. 
He  was  convinced  of  this  after  his  resignation  from 
the  "  News."  No  word  of  his  departure  appeared 
in  that  paper,  and  yet  he  had  been  a  figure  of  im 
portance  in  the  "  News  "  office  and  had  had  standing 
outside  of  it.  Else,  why  Bill  Brady's  prompt  re 
quest  for  a  interview? 

This  interview,  by  the  way,  had  been  eminently 
satisfactory  to  Jimmy.  All  that  he  had  hinted  at  to 
Kate  that  afternoon  when  he  left  the  "  News  "  had 
found  speedy  promise  of  fulfillment.  Brady  had 
said,  "  I  want  a  boy  t'  run  errands  an'  carry  mes 
sages  fur  me.  Y've  got  t'  keep  y'r  eyes  open  an'  y'r 
ears,  too,  an'  y'r  mouth  shut.  Can  y'  do  that?  " 

Jimmy  said  he  could      But  the  words,  "  run  an' 

xl^f^f^X 

.    "    -.'>  -  . 

OF  •/ 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  46 

carry  messages  "  he  did  not  like.     "  Y'  mean  t'  see 
politicians  fur  y'?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Brady,  laughing. 

Jimmy's  ruffled  pride  was  smoothed.     "  What  '11 
I  get  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Four  dollars  a  week." 

"  Any  tips  agoin'  ?  " 

"  That's  fur  you  t'  find  out." 

"  I'll  find  'em,"  responded  Jimmy.    "  An'  I  '11  take 
th'  job.    I  '11  start  in  t'-morrow." 

Thus  was  Jimmy  launched  on  a  political  career. 

When  Jimmy  told  his  father  that  he  had  left  the 
"  News  "  and  taken  a  job  with  Brady  there  was  a 
row.  "  Hank  "  Devlin,  as  he  was  known  to  his 
associates,  was  a  tall,  slouching  man  of  forty-five, 
with  loose  mouth,  thin  hair  and  general  indications 
of  having  nearly  reached  the  bottom  of  a  long  slide 
down  hill,  morally  and  physically.  He  rented  one 
room  in  the  second  story  of  a  cheap  lodging  house, 
and  there  he  and  Jimmy  lived.  He  was  not  a 
normally  bad  man  and  he  had  the  remnants  of  a 
reputable  bringing  up,  which  still  enabled  him,  on 
occasion,  to  present  a  bearing  of  respectability  and 
to  make  strangers  think  that  they  were  talking  to  a 
man  of  some  parts.  But  "  Hank "  Devlin  had 
thought  that  the  only  way  to  become  a  successful 
politician  was  to  stand  in  with  the  crowd  at  all 
times ;  and  "  standing  in  "  being  so  much  more  to 
his  appetite  when  it  meant  also  "  standing  up  "  (to 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  47 

a  bar),  he  fell  easily  into  the  habit  of  spending  most 
of  his  time  in  the  saloons.  Thus  he  acquired  a  wide 
acquaintance  with  and  an  uncertain  living  among  the 
order  of  political  hangers-on. 

He  was  somewhat  drunk  and  very  ugly  the  night 
that  Jimmy  told  him  what  he  had  done.  "  Y' 
young  cub!"  he  said.  "  Go  t'  hell  out  a  here!" 
He  swung  around  viciously  at  Jimmy.  It  was  night, 
and  Jimmy  was  about  to  go  to  bed. 

"  I'm  a  gettin'  a  dollar  more  a  week,"  remon 
strated  Jimmy. 

"  Y'  ain't  goin'  t'  be  no  bum  pol'tician,"  returned 
his  father.  As  the  awful  picture  conjured  up  by 
these  words  impressed  itself  upon  him,  he  went 
on,  "  No,  y'  ain't.  Y're  my  son,  an'  y'  ain't  goin' 
'long  \vith  that  beer-guzzlin'  crowd." 

Jimmy  was  silent.  He  knew  the  rotation  of  his 
father's  moods.  He  had  been  savage;  now  he  was 
maudlin;  next  would  come  self-pity.  After  that  he 
might  want  more  to  drink.  Jimmy  looked  about  the 
room.  There  wasn't  much  to  see.  A  bed,  a  mat 
tress  in  the  corner,  on  which  he  slept;  a  couple  of 
chairs,  a  looking  glass  at  one  end  over  a  small  table; 
and,  against  the  wall,  a  larger  table  on  which  were 
some  newspapers,  a  pipe,  and  a  reddish-brown  bottle. 
The  cork  was  in  the  bottle — that  told  Jimmy  what 
he  wanted.  He  edged  over  toward  it.  Jimmy  had 
no  moral  scruples  against  drunkenness,  but  he  did 
not  approve  of  it  because  some  of  its  manifestations 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  48 

were  unpleasant  and  some  decidedly  dangerous  to 
him  when  his  father  was  the  subject. 

Suddenly,  he  declared  defiantly,  "  Pop,  I'm  goin' 
t'  be  a  pol'tician!  I'm  goin'  t'  keep  th'  job  with 
Brady!" 

"  Like  hell  y'  are!"  exclaimed  Devlin.  He  was 
aroused  by  the  challenge.  "  I'll  beat  th'  life  out  a 
y' !  "  he  cried,  and  made  a  rush  for  Jimmy. 

But  Jimmy  had  calculated  both  time  and  space. 
He  spun  around,  struck  the  edge  of  the  table,  upset 
the  bottle  on  the  floor  where  it  went  to  pieces,  and 
was  at  the  door  and  in  the  hallway  before  his  father 
could  lay  hands  on  him.  There,  the  pursuit  ending, 
he  tip-toed  down  a  few  steps,  and  sat,  waiting.  His 
father  probably  would  think  of  coming  down  for 
more  to  drink,  but  laziness  might  deter  him.  Half 
an  hour  went  by.  His  father  called  to  him  several 
times,  and  got  no  answer.  Then,  Jimmy  heard  the 
bed  creak  violently,  and,  presently,  snores.  After 
that  he  stole  into  the  room,  and  fell  into  the  sleep  of 
a  mind  free  of  care. 

Jimmy  found  the  work  under  Brady  to  his  liking. 
But  he  also  learned  that  politicians  did  something 
more  than  wear  silk  hats,  smoke  cigars,  talk  with 
newspaper  men,  ride  on  passes  and  boss  things  gen 
erally.  They  worked  hard  at  times,  and  their  work 
often  seemed  to  have  no  immediate  result.  For  in 
stance,  much  of  Brady's  time  was  taken  up  in  listen 
ing  to  complaints  and  trying  to  adjust  differences. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  49 

One  day  it  was  McGonnigle,  the  livery  stable  man, 
who,  in  violent  Irish,  arraigned  Brady  for  the  wrong 
done  him  by  the  Street  Commissioners.  "  'Twas 
yisterday  they  come  an'  told  me  Oi'd  have  a  bill  t' 
pay  fur  changin'  th'  curb  in  front  av  me  place,"  he 
said.  "  Now,  Brady,  y'  know  thet's  not  roight." 

"  Why  so?  "  inquired  Brady. 

"  Why  so?  Is  't  you  thet's  ashkin'  me  thet?  Is  't 
no  freedom  a  tall,  a  tall,  Oim  t'  have  frum  th'  govern- 
mint  I  hilped  t'  put  in  power?  Was  't  not  y'rsilf 
thet  said,  whin  Oi  wurruked  fur  y'  last  illiction? — 
McGonnigle,  sez  you,  whin  th'  day  comes  thet  y' 
want  somethin',  thin  d'  y'  come  t'  me.  Oi'll  luk 
afther  y',  sez  you.  An',  is  't  lukin'  afther  me  t'  let 
me  be  robbed  'n  this  way  ?  " 

Brady  took  a  memorandum  book  and  a  blue-print 
from  a  drawer  of  the  desk.  They  were  in  his  room. 
"  But,  McGonnigle,"  he  said,  "  y're  asked  t'  pay  only 
fur  th'  one  hundred  feet  in  front  of  y'r  own  place. 
All  th'  rest  of  th'  curb  along  y'r  side  of  th'  block  is 
in  line.  Y'  don't  think  that  th'  two  hundred  'n  more 
feet  of  curb  b'longing  t'  others  ought  t'  be  changed  t' 
suit  y'rs?" 

"  Tis  none  av  me  business  what  ilse  is  changed," 
returned  McGonnigle.  "  Th'  min  what  owns  prap- 
erty  an  each  side  av  me  kin  pay  fur  th'  change  er  not, 
ez  they  loikes;  thet's  their  lookout;  an'  this  Oi'm 
spakin'  av  's  mine.  'F  't  wuz  thim  thet  hilped  y' 
make  Macy,  th'  plumber,  an  assessor,  why  'tis  thim 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  50 

thet  '11  be  cumplainin'  like  mesilf.  Y'  know  how  th' 
thing  sthands,  an'  y'  know,  too,  thet  wuz  no  objiction 
Oi  wuz  makin'  whin  y'  ashked  me  t'  hilp  y'.  There 
fore,  'tis  me  now  thet  says,  Am  Oi  t'  change  th'  line 
av  me  curb,  er  am  Oi  not  ?  " 

Brady  drummed  with  a  pencil  on  the  desk  for  a 
moment,  and  regarded  the  blue-print  thoughtfully. 
Then  he  glanced  at  McGonnigle.  The  latter's  face 
was  uncompromising.  "  All  right,"  Brady  said. 
"  We'll  see  what  can  be  done  about  th'  curb."  Mc 
Gonnigle  went  out  promptly. 

But,  later,  Jimmy  was  sent  over  to  McGonnigle's 
with  this  message :  "  Two  carriages  fur  two  o'clock 
this  afternoon  fur  some  friends  that  want  t'  inspect 
curb  lines." 

The  carriages  drew  up  in  front  of  Brady's  house 
on  time,  and  seven  men  got  into  them  with  Brady, 
and  drove  out  toward  the  Park.  Jimmy,  thereupon, 
sat  down  and  did  some  thinking.  The  conclusion  he 
arrived  at  was,  that,  if  repairs  to  one  hundred 
feet  of  curbing  cost  the  owner  of  a  property 
the  equivalent  of  the  price  of  the  actual  work, 
plus  much  hard  election  work  and  the  hire  of  two 
carriages  for  an  afternoon,  there  must  be  a  great 
deal  of  money  made  by  someone  in  the  job  of  street 
repairing.  He  determined  to  look  into  the  matter 
of  street  work  the  first  chance  he  got;  but  he  said 
nothing  to  Brady  of  this. 

It  was  some  months  later  that  Brady  sent  Jimmy 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  51 

with  a  message  to  one  Sam  Showell.  Showell  was 
a  younger  and  stronger  man  than  Brady,  but  of  the 
same  school  in  politics.  He  was  already  a  power 
in  the  adjoining  ward.  He  had  reached  that  point  in 
his  career  where  the  newspapers  of  the  opposition 
spoke  of  him  as  sharp  and  unscrupulous,  and  reck 
oned  with  him  in  their  estimates  of  ward  votes.  He 
was  a  man  for  whose  good  will  it  was  sometimes 
worth  while  for  a  publisher  to  suppress  a  piece  of 
news.  All  that  Jimmy  had  seen  and  heard  of  Sam 
Showell  stimulated  his  interest  in  him.  So  to-day 
when  he  reached  Showell's  outer  office  and  found  it 
empty,  he  sat  down  to  wait  without  making  un 
necessary  noise.  Voices  came  through  a  closed  door 
giving  on  an  inner  room.  Jimmy  recognized  the 
powerful  voice  of  Showell  rising  above  those  of  sev 
eral  other  men,  and  was  properly  attentive. 

Ten  minutes  later  Showell  came  out.  He  was 
conspicuously  dressed  and  broad  shouldered,  with  a 
big  mouth,  a  fist  like  a  ham  and  a  cigar  perpetually 
revolving  in  the  corner  of  his  mouth. 

He  bestowed  a  hard  glance  on  Jimmy.  "  Well, 
what  d'  y'  want?  "  he  demanded. 

Jimmy  announced  his  mission  without  hesitation. 

"  How  long  a  y'  bin  here?  "  asked  Showell. 

"  Couple  a  minutes,"  replied  Jimmy  indifferently. 
It  was  the  exact  truth.  Jimmy  had  changed  his  po 
sition  to  one  further  removed  from  the  communica 
ting  door  two  minutes  previous — when  he  heard  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  52 

men  inside  moving  about  preparatory  to  coming 
out.  Now  he  gave  Showell  the  note  he  carried. 
There  was  no  reply,  Showell  said ;  so  Jimmy  left. 

Around  the  corner  he  found  a  convenient  seat  on 
a  pile  of  lumber,  and  smoked  a  cigarette  while  he 
hugged  one  knee.  The  man  who,  half  an  hour  later 
lifted  up  the  beam  on  which  Jimmy  sat  and  upset 
him,  declared  that  the  boy.  was  asleep.  But  Jimmy 
wasn't  asleep;  and,  the  next  day,  his  reflections  of 
that  half  hour  found  expression. 

"Mr.  Brady,"  he  said;  "  ashes  's  queer  things, 
ain't  th'?" 

"How's  that?'*  growled  Brady;  he  was  busy 
with  some  calculations  on  the  vote  at  the  primaries 
in  the  Twelfth  Ward. 

"  Ashes  's  queer  things/'  repeated  Jimmy. 
"  Everybody  seems  t'  want  'em." 

"  Are  y'  crazy?  "  asked  Brady,  looking  up.  But 
Jimmy's  face,  while  it  was,  at  that  moment,  the  face 
of  innocence,  did  not  indicate  mental  weakness. 
"What  're  y'  drivin'  at?"  Brady  added.  He  re 
membered  some  things  about  Jimmy's  acuteness. 

"  Ashes,"  said  Jimmy  calmly.  "  I  say,  everybody 
seems  t'  want  'em.  Is  there  much  money  in  ashes  ?  " 

"What  kind  of  money?  What  do  y'  mean?" 
Brady  began  to  scent  a  revelation. 

"  Why,  th'  money  what's  paid  fur  collectin'  ashes. 
What  kind  of  a  game  is  this  ash  collectin',  anyway?  " 

"  Game !     I  don't  know  nothin'  about  no  game," 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  53 

returned  Brady.  "  But  there's  money  made  in  ash 
collectin',  sure  enough." 

"Is  th'  money  made  'n  th'  Tenth  Ward?"  in 
quired  Jimmy,  as  if  the  thought  had  just  occurred 
to  him. 

"What  do  you  know  about  the  Tenth  Ward?" 
demanded  Brady. 

"  I  ?  I  don't  know  much.  Only  I  heard  that 
Sam  Showel'l  has  bought  up  all  th'  contractors  what 
was  goin'  t'  bid  in  th'  Tenth  Ward  on  th'  ash  col 
lectin'  job, — except  one.  'F  he  gets  that  one  he's 
goin'  t'  ask  th'  city  twict  what  they  paid  last  time 
fur  collectin'  th'  ashes  there;  that's  all." 

"That's  all!"  echoed  Brady.  "  Y'  little  devil! 
How  did  y'  find  that  out?  Where  did  y'  hear  it?  " 

"  Yesterday  afternoon — in  Showell's  office.  He 
was  talkin'  t'  a  couple  of  fellows,  an' — he  talked  too 
loud." 

"  I'll  be  damned !  "  remarked  Brady.  He  never 
doubted  that  Jimmy  spoke  the  truth.  Then,  suddenly, 
he  asked,  "  Why  didn't  y'  tell  me  that  b'fore?  " 

"  Y'  didn't  ask  me,  an'  y'  said  t'  me  once  t'  keep 
my  mouth  shut  till  y'  told  me  t'  open  it."  Jimmy's 
face  said  that  he  was  conscious  of  having  obeyed 
orders  implicitly.  Brady  stared  at  him  fiercely,  but 
it  was  of  no  avail.  Jimmy's  composure  was  perfect. 

"  Y're  too  good  t'  be  true,"  sneered  Brady.  But, 
inadvertently,  of  course,  Jimmy  learned,  a  week  later, 
that  Sam  Showell  was  furious.  Brady  had  secured 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  54 

an  option  on  that  one  remaining  contractor,  and 
told  Showell  that  he  could  buy  the  option  at  a  stiff 
price,  or  meet  a  competitor  in  the  bidding  for  the  col 
lection  of  ashes  in  the  Tenth  Ward. 

The  next  day  Jimmy  remarked  to  Brady  who  was 
in  good  humor :  "  Mr.  Showell  'd  given  me  some- 
thin'  t'  keep  my  mouth  shut  about  that  ash  collectin'." 

Brady  gave  no  sign  that  he  heard,  and  Jimmy 
went  on  reflectively,  "  Yes,  I  must  'a  lost  a  couple 
a  dollars  by  it." 

Brady  regarded  him  with  admiration,  and  pulled 
out  three  one  dollar  bills.  "  Don't  y'  let  Showell,  er 
anybody  else,  make  y'  furget  that  y're  workin'  fur 
me !  "  he  said. 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Jimmy,  complacently  pocketing 
the  money. 

Yet  Jimmy  had  thoughts  above  money.  Some 
times  his  imagination  bore  him  away  for  the  mo 
ment.  But  he  always  quickly  brought  himself  to 
earth  with  some  practical  consideration;  for  Jimmy 
lived  in  this  world,  and  kept  his  feet  upon  the  earth 
with  rare  exceptions.  He  pressed  along  a  path  that 
led  up  a  considerable  hill,  but  not  among  the  clouds. 
If,  occasionally,  he  got  into  a  rarer  atmosphere  than 
was  to  be  found  at  his  normal  level  it  was  because. he 
was  always  curious.  There  was  nothing  too  trivial 
for  him  to  examine,  at  least  by  a  glance.  No  bird 
rested  in  a  tree  too  high  for  him  to  chance  a  throw 
at  it.  Jimmy,  perhaps,  had  no  definite  aims  as  yet; 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  55 

but  he  did  have  a  very  certain  appreciation  of  oppor 
tunities  as  they  presented  themselves.  He  looked 
ahead  just  far  enough  to  insure  the  success  of  what 
he  was  then  doing,  or  about  to  do. 

So  it  was  that  he  got  his  education.  Most  of  it  he 
picked  up  along  the  road;  his  early  schooling  fur 
nished  a  commentary  upon  the  dilatory  methods  of 
the  educational  authorities.  A  compulsory  educa 
tion  obtained  by  state  law.  Until  he  was  sixteen 
years  old  Jimmy  should  have  been  in  school.  But 
in  five  years  he  had  learned  all  that  he  believed 
he  needed,  and  so  persuaded  his  father.  The  rest 
was  a  mere  matter  of  avoiding  the  teachers  and 
cajoling  insistent  inspectors  with  regard  to  his  age. 
The  education  he  got  at  school  was  superficial, 
but  his  energy  and  his  alert  brain  made  the  best 
possible  use  of  it,  and  gained  for  him  enough  of 
other  knowledge  to  make  him  more  than  a  match 
for  his  schoolmates  who  were  law-abiding,  industri 
ous  pupils. 

So  the  three  years  following  his  entry  into  Brady's 
employ  he  spent, — incidentally,  in  doing  the  bidding 
of  Brady;  specifically,  in  establishing  himself  in  the 
great  world  of  politics.  The  idea  of  a  political  life, 
at  first  only  a  dim  possibility  among  many,  gradu 
ally  grew  and  took  on  more  positive  lines.  It  was 
not  the  allurement  of  power  which  drew  him  on, 
though  the  field  which  politics  opened  up  for  the 
exercise  of  the  faculty  of  leadership  that  had  been 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  56 

his  from  his  newspaper  days  was  plain  and  fertile. 
In  honesty  to  Jimmy — and  Jimmy,  even  in  his  poses, 
was  honest  to  himself, — it  must  be  recorded  that  it 
was  the  material  profits  which  accrued  to  the  poli 
ticians  of  his  acquaintance  that  made  him  think  of 
becoming  a  politician.  Later,  when  he  began  to 
draw  upon  his  resources  in  earnest,  he  identified  that 
secret  joy  which  came  of  finding  that  to  speak  was 
to  be  obeyed;  and,  then — then,  Jimmy  could  not 
have  drawn  back,  even  if  power  and  the  comforts 
of  life  had  not  been  spelled  for  him  in  the  word — 
Politics. 

But,  in  those  first  three  years  Jimmy  labored  faith 
fully  to  earn  his  place.  He  had  run  errands  and 
carried  messages  at  first — and  watched  and  listened 
and  remembered.  Then,  as  Brady  discovered  that 
Jimmy  did  these  last  things  with  as  good  will  and  to 
more  effect  than  he  did  the  first,  it  became  Jimmy's 
part  to  watch,  listen  and  report;  the  running  of 
errands  and  carrying  of  messages  were  now 
merely  nominal,  and  Jimmy,  seeing  that  these  had 
their  use,  made  no  open  objection  to  them.  But  he 
strove,  none  the  less  to  make  them  superfluous.  So 
well,  too,  did  he  strive  that,  in  the  third  year  of  his 
apprenticeship,  the  advertisements  of  his  servitude 
were  removed. 

Therefore,  behold  Jimmy  at  nineteen — five  feet 
eight  inches  high,  slender,  his  face  freckled,  his  nose 
still  unmistakably  a  pug,  his  chin  beginning  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  57 

square  itself,  his  eyes  keen,  but  less  easily  read  than 
formerly;  and  his  lips,  for  all  their  humorous  twist 
at  the  corners,  seeming  to  be  aware  that  they 
guarded  what  already  was  spoken  of  as  "  Jimmy's 
word." 

Jimmy  dressed  with  more  care  than  he  once  did. 
His  pocketbook  permitted  and  his  observation  ad 
vised  it.  He  had  seen  neat  attire  gain  a  hearing 
when  cleverness  found  no  chance  to  speak;  and,  as 
his  life  so  far  has  made  plain,  he  did  not  believe 
in  neglecting  anything  that  might  contribute  to 
the  ends  which  he  desired.  He  wore  as  good  clothes 
as  he  could  afford  to  wear,  and  already  was  dis 
tinguished  among  the  men  with  whom  he  went  by 
the  absence  from  his  person  of  big,  seal  rings,  pon 
derous  watch  chains  and  brilliant  studs.  I  say 
"  men  "  advisedly ;  for  Jimmy's  age  was  the  thing 
most  often  misquoted.  It  was  generally  believed 
that  he  was  "  twenty-four  and  old  for  his  years  " — 
which  opinion  Jimmy  did  not  take  pains  to  con 
tradict. 

But  Kate  Mayne  did.  She  took  a  particular  de 
light  in  revealing  what  she  knew  Jimmy  considered 
his  shortcomings.  Perhaps,  this  was  because  some  of 
her  own  deficiencies  had  disappeared  in  the  years 
that  saw  her  short  dresses  lengthen  and  that  thick 
pig-tail  coil  itself  on  a  shapely  head.  She  had  re 
joiced  in  her  long  legs  once  because  they  enabled  her 
to  preserve  the  principle  of  mine  and  thine  which, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  58 

in  the  world  of  newspaper  selling,  is  not  recognized 
as  sound  unless  enforced  by  swiftness  and  strength. 
Now,  she  was  quite  conscious  that  her  length  of 
limb  was  a  becoming  attribute,  and  she  took  pains 
to  wear  gowns  that  were  worthy  of  a  decidedly 
comely  figure.  She  had  good  taste  in  such  things; 
that  was  why  she  found  steady  employment  at  fair 
wages  as  a  dressmaker's  assistant.  The  world  was 
prosperous  with  Kate,  and  she  looked  out  upon  it 
from  those  fine  gray  eyes  of  hers  with  a  new  sense 
of  its  possibilities  and  a  growing  pride  in  externals 
which,  later  on,  furnished  her  with  some  regretful 
moments. 

She  knew  that  she  had  a  pretty  nose,  that  the 
droop  at  the  corners  of  her  mouth  was  an  engaging 
irregularity,  and  that  many  of  her  sex  would  have 
given  much  to  possess  her  white  skin.  And,  though 
her  schooling  had  been  almost  a  minus  quantity,  she 
was  remedying  that  as  far  as  her  opportunities 
allowed.  She  had  quick  perceptions;  and,  now  that 
her  desire  to  be  something  better  than  the  girls 
around  her  was  stimulated,  she  set  industriously  to 
work.  She  followed  no  system  in  this,  but  she  let 
slip  no  chance  to  learn.  Her  imitative  faculties 
were  active,  and  she  picked  up  a  great  deal  uncon 
sciously.  She  took  consolation  for  her  immediate 
shortcomings  in  the  fact  that,  in  a  battle  of  wits, 
she  could  put  almost  any  of  them  to  rout  and  that, 
as  Jimmy  expressed  it,  she  talked  "  like  a  house 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  59 

afire."  At  the  dances  at  Industrial  Hall  she  found 
the  time  all  too  short  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the 
gentlemen  of  her  acquaintance  who  sought  her  com 
pany  in  the  "  intermissions  "  as  often  as  they  did  on 
the  floor. 

For  Kate  had  many  admirers — and  one  friend. 
She  was  not  liked  by  the  girls,  and  this,  with  some 
reason,  she  put  down  to  jealousy.  As  for  the  men, 
with  that  one  notable  exception,  they  insisted  upon 
making  their  acquaintance  a  matter  of  the  heart. 
Besieged  as  she  was,  her  vanity  served  her  this  good 
turn.  It  played  the  chaperone  and  would  not  let  her 
forget.  So,  though  she  had  been  almost  alone  in  the 
world  for  two  years,  Kate  at  nineteen  maintained  her 
right  to  the  respectful  attentions  of  a  score  of  men, 
and  gave  her  confidences  to  one. 

Of  course,  this  one  was  Jimmy;  for  he  was  the 
only  person  who  neither  was  envious  of  her  nor 
flattered  her.  She  had  been  his  "  steady  "  until  in 
creasing  years  made  such  a  relation  ridiculous  as 
well  as  juvenile.  Then,  when  a  deeper  feeling 
might  have  attached  him  to  her,  the  affairs  of  a 
larger  world  crowded  in  upon  him  and, — well,  he 
spoke  no  word  of  love  to  her.  She  was  piqued  as  she 
realized  his  failure  to  live  up  to  what  was  his  clear 
duty ;  but  pique  is  an  evanescent  spice,  and,  while  it 
led  Kate  to  do  some  silly  things  and  made  Jimmy 
wonder  for  a  day  or  two,  whether,  after  all,  woman 
was  not  a  study  worthy  of  attention,  it  soon  evapo- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  60 

rated.  Kate  remained  Kate,  and  Jimmy,  Jimmy; 
and  that  was  all  there  was  to  it. 

If  Kate  had  shown  pique  to  Marcus  Doran  there 
might  have  been  serious  and  more  immediate  re 
sults.  But  Marcus  had  attained  that  attitude  of 
maturity  which  views  women  of  nineteen  as  young 
girls  and  women  of  twenty-five  as  the  only  fitting 
companions  for  men  of  twenty-one.  Besides,  to 
the  surprise  of  every  one,  he  had  developed  an  ambi 
tion,  and  had  thrown  himself  with  such  vigor  into 
the  business  of  street-paving  that  the  contractors  by 
whom  he  was  employed  took  a  notion  to  make  a  pro 
tege  of  him  in  their  pseudo-political  work. 

When  Marcus  reached  his  majority  he  was  in  a 
fair  way  to  be  a  rich  man  some  day.  He  had  ful 
filled  his  boyish  promise  of  being  good  looking.  He 
had  already  begun  to  take  on  flesh,  but  was  tall  and 
broad.  His  face  was  full  and  dark  with  the  thick 
ening  beard  which  he  kept  smooth  shaven ;  his  heavy 
hair  was  always  well  brushed.  He  had  a  habit  of 
wearing  his  coat  thrown  back  over  a  stylish  vest, 
which,  he  fancied,  gave  him  a  prosperous  appear 
ance.  His  eyes  were  too  small  and  his  lips  too  full, 
but  a  straight  nose  and  fine  teeth  made  these  de 
fects  less  noticeable.  He  was  looked  at  a  good  deal, 
and  he  knew  it,  and  had  a  better  opinion  of  himself 
than  ever  before. 

Jimmy  spoke  of  Marcus  one  day  to  Kate.  Jimmy 
never  went  to  dances,  and  so  he  did  not  see  Kate  in 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  61 

all  her  glory ;  but  he  heard  about  her  and  he  had  also 
heard  about  the  doings  of  Marcus — all  of  this  in 
formation  coming  to  his  ears  because  he  put  himself 
in  the  way  of  it.  So,  "  Now,  there's  Marcus  Doran," 
he  said  to  Kate;  "  he's  goin'  t'  make  his  pile,  they 
say." 

"  Is  he?  "  remarked  Kate,  indifferently. 

"Yes,"  went  on  Jimmy;  "and,  of  course,  he'll 
marry — some  day." 

"  I  guess  so,"  said  Kate. 

"  Then,  his  wife  '11  have  plenty  of  money  t' 
spend,"  hazarded  Jimmy. 

"Will  she?"  said  Kate. 

"  Won't  she?  "  asked  Jimmy. 

"  I  wonder,"  Kate  returned.     There  was  a  pause. 

"  And  you  like  money,"  Jimmy  resumed. 

«  Yes ." 

"  And  do  y'  like  Marcus?" 

"Are  you  still  talkin'  about  him?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Jimmy;  "him  and  you."  He 
waited  a  moment,  but  got  no  response,  and  he  said 
slowly,  "  When  are  y'  goin'  t'  get  married?  " 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  said  Kate ;  "  I  ain't  thinking  of  get 
ting  married.  Are  you  ?  " 

"No,"  said  Jimmy  decidedly;  "I  ain't.  But," 
suddenly  looking  her  in  the  face :  "  did  you  ever 
think  of  marryin'  Marcus  Doran  ?  " 

"  Not  on  your  life !  "  returned  Kate  quickly.  She 
laughed  loudly.  "  Why,  I  wouldn't  marry  that 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  62 

stuck-up  thing  for — nothing !  "  She  laughed  again 
in  derision.  But  Jimmy  thought  her  scorn  a  little 
over-done. 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  marry  him,"  he  said  quite 
gravely. 

"Why?"  asked  Kate.  This  was  becoming  in 
teresting. 

"Well,  I— just  wouldn't,  that's  all,"  replied 
Jimmy.  Then  his  lips  closed;  and  Kate  knew  that 
it  was  useless  to  try  to  open  them.  But  she  made  a 
mental  note  of  one  thing — Jimmy  did  not  like  Mar 
cus.  That  made  her  decide  to  inspect  Marcus  for 
herself. 

That  Jimmy  did  not  approve  of  Marcus  was  the 
exact  truth.  Marcus  no  longer  thrashed  Jimmy; 
indeed,  their  intercourse  was  marked  by  a  freedom 
from  violence  both  of  tongue  and  act  which,  once, 
would  have  branded  them  as  dudes  and  cowards 
among  their  associates.  But  the  hostility  between 
them  was  not  removed.  They  met  quite  often;  for 
they  were  in  the  same  ward,  and  Brady  was  fre 
quently  called  on  by  Marcus's  employer,  who 
"  wanted  something  arranged "  in  the  way  of  a 
municipal  contract ;  and  Jimmy,  now  and  then,  acted 
as  ambassador.  At  these  times  he  was  almost  sure 
to  come  across  Marcus,  and  hear  things  said  about 
him  and  to  him.  All  of  which  made  Marcus  dislike 
Jimmy  more  than  ever. 

Then,  too,  Jimmy  knew  such  a  lot  about  the  con- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  63 

tract  prices  of  street  paving-,  and  the  wages  of  the 
men,  and  the  profits  of  the  contractor,  and  just 
where  the  poorest  paving  had  been  laid  by  Marcus's 
people,  and  how  narrowly  they  had  escaped  a  Grand 
Jury  summons  as  a  consequence  of  charging  for  re 
pairs  that  had  not  been  made. 

And  Jimmy  distrusted  Marcus ;  not  because  of  any 
of  these  lapses,  for  they  were  what  everyone  ex 
pected  and  a  perquisite  of  the  municipal  contractor — 
but  because,  in  private  life  as  well  as  public,  Marcus 
wras  one  of  the  great  crowd  of  "  slippery  ones,"  and 
was  weak.  Jimmy  could  not  get  over  that  worship 
of  personal  strength  and  regard  for  a  promise  once 
made. 

If  Jimmy  condoned  cardinal  faults  in  any  one 
it  was  in  his  father.  Indeed,  he  gave  much  time  to 
shielding  the  latter  from  the  fruits  of  his  folly.  The 
feeling  which  made  him  do  this  certainly  was  not  a 
sense  of  filial  duty,  and  to  have  called  it  affection, 
maybe,  would  have  been  to  strain  a  point.  "  Hank  " 
Devlin  did  nothing  to  cultivate  love  in  his  son;  on 
the  contrary,  he  abused  him  regularly,  and  in 
creased  his  daily  potations.  The  secret  of  his  abil 
ity  to  recover  apparently  lost  ground  at  intervals 
remained  with  himself  and  his  son.  What  went  on 
between  his  father  and  himself  was  never  mentioned 
by  Jimmy ;  and  Brady  and  the  rest,  perhaps,  had  not 
given  it  a  thought  until  that  evening  when  the  thing 
was  poked  under  their  very  noses. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  64 

Brady  and  two  other  men  and  Jimmy  were  seated 
in  Brady's  room,  waiting  for  "  Hank  "  Devlin  who 
was  to  bring  in  a  report.  It  was  in  the  matter  of  a 
candidate  of  the  party  for  City  Councils.  Brady 
had  his  man  for  the  place  picked  out ;  but  he  needed 
funds  to  start  the  campaign  ball  rolling,  and  among 
those  he  counted  on  drawing  upon,  was  one  Joseph 
Cans,  a  wealthy  merchant,  a  member  of  the  party 
and  also  something  of  a  reformer.  Devlin,  for 
various  reasons,  had  seemed  to  be  the  most  avail 
able  man  to  interview  Cans  on  this  point,  and  to 
Devlin  the  task  had  been  entrusted.  It  was  a  deli 
cate  task,  too;  for  Gans's  action  in  this  connection 
was  likely  to  be  contagious  and  Gans's  contribution 
generous. 

Jimmy  had  said  nothing  when  he  heard  Brady  tell 
his  father  what  he  was  to  do,  but  he  kept  close  watch 
on  his  father  that  evening  until  seven  o'clock.  Then 
his  duties  called  him  to  Brady's  presence.  Devlin 
was  to  call  on  Gans  at  eight  o'clock.  So,  with  only 
an  hour  intervening,  Jimmy  thought  he  could  leave 
his  father  in  safety.  Yet,  before  he  went,  he  said: 
"  Say,  see  here,  Pop !  y'  don't  want  t'  go  t'  Gans's 
t'night  if  y'  ain't  feeling  good.  Y'll  get  y'rself  in  a 
bad  hole,  if  y'  do/' 

"  Shut  up !  "  returned  Devlin;  "  an'  get  out  a  here. 
I  know  my  business,  an'  I  don't  want  none  a  y'r 
talk." 

Jimmy  said  nothing  more.     But,  now,  when,  an 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  65 

hour  late,  Devlin  came  into  Brady's  room  Jimmy 
knew,  at  once,  what  had  happened.  Devlin  was 
drunk.  He  walked  into  the  room  pretty  straight, 
but  immediately  dropped  into  a  chair.  "  Well  ?  " 
he  said  defiantly. 

"  Well?  "  repeated  Brady  angrily.  He  saw  what 
was  wrong.  "  What  did  Cans  say?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Shaid  he  wouldn't  give  a  cent  t'  a  lot  a  drunk 
ards  ;  that's  what  he  shaid ! "  answered  Devlin 
thickly.  He  was  brazen,  and  glared  at  Brady.  Then, 
he  saw  something  funny  in  the  situation,  and 
laughed. 

"  Shut  up !  "  cried  Brady,  beside  himself  with 
anger  and  disappointment  at  the  failure  of  the  mis 
sion.  "  Shut  up,  y'  drunken  loafer !  Y'll  pay  fur 
this, — fur  what  y've  done  t'night !  " 

Jimmy,  who  sat  near  Brady,  got  on  his  feet. 
"Say!  Mr.  Brady,"  he  said;  "you're  makin' 
a  big  mistake."  His  voice  was  quiet,  but  there 
was  something  in  his  face  that  made  them  all 
wonder.  "  You're  makin'  a  mistake,"  he  repeated ; 
"  b'cause  th'  old  man  ain't  been  t'  see  Gans 
yet." 

"What's  that?"  grumbled  Devlin,  stirring  from 
the  stupor  that  had  begun  to  steal  over  him  in  the 
heat  of  the  room.  But  Jimmy  gave  no  heed  to  the 
question. 

Brady  turned  to  Jimmy.  "How  do  y'  make  that 
out?  "  he  demanded.  "  What  're  y'  givin'  us ?  Ain't 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  66 

he  said  he's  bin  there?  And  didn't  he  say  Gans  told 
him  we  was ?  " 

Jimmy  calmly  interrupted  him.  "  I  heard  him 
say  that,"  he  said.  "  But  that  ain't  nuthin'.  He 
don't  know  where  he's  been;  anybody  could  see 
that.  And,  anyway,  I  know  he  ain't  been  there;  T 
knowed  he  wasn't  goin'  when  I  come  in  here 
t'night." 

"Y'  did!"  exclaimed  Brady.  "Why  didn't  y' 
say  so,  then  ?  What  was  th'  matter  ?  " 

Jimmy's  eye-lids  never  quivered  as  he  said  bluntly, 
"  I  told  th'  old  man  not  t'  go  t'  Gans's  when  I  left 
him  this  evening.  I  saw  he'd  knock  us  out,  if  he  did." 

"  Who  toF  me  not  t'  go  ?  "  broke  in  Devlin,  dimly 
conscious  that  he  was  being  spoken  of. 

Jimmy  remained  unmoved  by  the  query  and 
finished,  "  And  y'  see,  I  knowed  what  I  was  talk 
ing  about." 

Brady  stared  at  Devlin  and,  then,  at  Jimmy.  He 
was  puzzled.  "  Y're  lyin!  "  he  declared  to  Jimmy, 
trying  to  shake  him ;  but  Jimmy  only  smiled  a  little, 
thin  smile,  and  answered,  "  Have  it  y'r  own  way. 
Only  I  don't  see  what's  th'  use  of  making  out  that 
Gans  's  turned  against  us  when  y'  ain't  give  him  a 
show  t'  say  so." 

It  was  reasoning  in  a  circle,  but  the  argument 
struck  Brady  as  plausible.  He  sat  a  few  seconds 
without  speaking.  Devlin's  snores  told  that  his 
energies  had  been  exhausted.  "  How  '11  y'  find  out 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  67 

'bout  Cans?"  Brady  suddenly  asked,  his  fears  and 
anger  reviving.  "  Do  y'  think  that  drunken  fool 
there  c'd  find  out?  Not  much!  I'm  done  with  him. 
He  slipped  up  this  time,  and  an'  he'll  never  get  an 
other  chance  from  me.  He  can  go  t'  hell,  for  all  I 
care." 

"  Just  th'  same  he'll  get  Gans  for  y',  if  he's  t'  be 
got,"  returned  Jimmy  quickly.  He  looked  Brady 
squarely  in  the  eyes. 

"  Who  says  he  will  ?  "  retorted  Brady. 

"  I  do,"  said  Jimmy. 

"  You ! "  began  Brady  scornfully,  and,  then, 
paused.  He  reasoned  that  at  least  the  case  could  be 
no  worse  than  it  was.  "  Let's  see  him  do  it,  then !  " 
he  challenged. 

"  All  right,"  returned  Jimmy.  He  walked  over 
to  his  father.  "  Come  on,  Pop !  "  he  said,  shaking 
him. 

Devlin  at  last  got  slowly  to  his  feet.  He  had 
reached  a  state  of  stupid  obedience,  and  clung  to  his 
son's  arm.  Jimmy  walked  to  the  door,  one  arm  se 
curely  locked  in  his  father's  elbow.  In  the  doorway 
he  looked  over  his  shoulder  at  Brady. 

"  You'll  hear  t'-morrow  night  that  th'  old  man's 
got  Gans  all  right,"  he  said,  and  passed  out. 


CHAPTER  III  68 

JIMMY  really  deserved  a  good  deal  of  credit  for 
the  way  he  won  over  Gans  and  redeemed  his 
promise  to  Brady  that  his  father  would  bring 
in  Gans's  contribution  to  the  campaign  fund.  To  be 
candid,  when  Jimmy  made  this  promise  and  aided 
his  father's  unsteady  feet  to  carry  him  from  the 
room,  he  had  only  a  hazy  idea  of  how  he  was  to  go 
about  the  thing.  Once  he  got  his  father  into  bed,  he 
sat  down  to  think;  and,  at  ten  o'clock,  marched  to 
Gans's  house  and  rang  the  bell.  "  Tell  Mr.  Gans, 
please,  that  Jimmy  Devlin  'd  like  t'  see  him  a 
minute,"  he  said.  "  Tell  him  it's  about  his  son,"  he 
added.  Then  he  walked  into  the  parlor,  for  all  the 
world  as  if  he  was  quite  familiar  with  the  house. 

It  was  the  mention  of  his  son  which  brought  Gans 
down  to  see  Jimmy.  The  name  Devlin  had  only 
unpleasant  significance. 

Jimmy  was  standing  by  the  fireplace.  "  Is  y'r  son 
at  home?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  what's  th'  matter?  Has  anything  happened 
to  him  ?  "  replied  Gans  anxiously.  His  son  was  the 
apple  of  Gans's  eye ;  and  Jimmy  had  found  this  out. 
as  he  had  planned  to  do. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  69 

"  No,"  said  Jimmy;  "  he's  all  right,  I  guess.  But 
he's  been  in  a  bad  fix." 

"  What's  happened?  Tell  me  quick,"  urged  Cans. 

"  He  upset  in  th'  river,  and  come  near  bein' 
drownded."  declared  Jimmy.  "  But  he's  safe — 
now,"  he  added. 

"  Good  Lord!  "  ejaculated  Cans.  "  Where  is  he? 
How  did  it  come  about?  When  was  it?  " 

"  Oh,  he  wasn't  upset  t'-day ;  that  was  two  years 
ago — th'  fifteenth  of  last  month,"  explained  Jimmy. 

"Two  years  ago?"  repeated  Cans.  "Here, 
what  are  you  driving  at?  Where  is  my  boy,  any 
how  ?  Speak  out,  quick !  " 

"Yes,"  said  Jimmy  unhurried;  "just  two  years 
ago  th'  fifteenth  of  last  month.  It  was  on  a  Sunday 
afternoon,  and  /  pulled  him  out.  Perhaps,  he  spoke 
t'  you  about  it  ?  Wisht  he  was  here  now ;  he'd  tell  y' 
it  was  all  straight." 

"  Where  is  he?  "  demanded  Cans.  A  faint  recol 
lection  of  the  incident  Jimmy  referred  to  came  to 
him,  but,  first  of  all,  he  must  be  satisfied  that  his 
son  was  safe.  The  proceedings  were  extraordinary ; 
Jimmy's  coolness  and  sudden  revival  of  an  old  story 
made  him  suspicious  of  some  new  danger  to  his 
son. 

"  I  don't  know  where  y'r  son  is  t'night,"  Jimmy 
said.  "'I  just  dropped  in  t'  see  you  on  my  own 
account ;  he  asked  me  t' — once — but  I  ain't  had  much 
time  since  then." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  70 

Cans  drew  a  sigh  of  relief  and  his  wonderment 
grew.  He  struggled  between  suspicion  of  Jimmy's 
aims  and  amazement  at  Jimmy's  equanimity.  It  was 
the  first  which  led  him  to  say,  "  Come  now !  what  are 
you  up  to?  " 

"Up  t'?  I  ain't  up  t'  nuthin',"  replied  Jimmy. 
"  But  I  thought  y'  might  be  glad  t'  see  me'  and  I 
wanted  t'  see  you,"  he  added. 

"What  about?"  asked  Cans  sharply. 

"  Well,  about  y'r  son,  and  pol'tics,  and — my 
father." 

"  What — what  have  they  got  to  do  with  each 
other  ?  "  Gans's  perplexity  grew. 

"  It  is  this  way,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  Y'  see  you 
think  a  good  deal  of  your  son,  and  I  think  th'  same 
about  my  father,  an',  I  thought  there  might  be  some- 
thin'  comin'  t'  me.  You  remember  th'  old  man  was 
'round  here  t'night,  and — he  hadn't  no  business  t' 
come,  for  somebody  'd  gone  and  got  him  '  full.'  But 
they  told  him  he  had  t'  come,  and  he  did,  and  you 
turned  him  down.  Now,  what  I  want  t'  know  is, 
ain't  you  goin'  t'  put  him  straight  on  th'  thing?  " 

Gans's  face  had  become  serious;  he  connected 
Devlin's  visit  with  Jimmy,  and  he  saw  how  he  was 
being  worked  upon  to  reverse  his  judgment.  He 
had  it  in  mind  to  tell  Jimmy  plainly  that  he  was  not 
to  be  cajoled,  into  doing  what  was  asked. 

But  Jimmy  did  not  let  him  make  that  answer. 
"  Th'  day  I  see  that  canoe  upset,"  he  remarked,  as 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  71 

though  refreshing  Gans's  recollection  of  the  occur 
rence;  "  I  jumped  in  and  yanked  your  son  out.  I 
wasn't  askin'  nuthin'  'bout  what  kind  of  a  feller  he 
was,  nor  what  kind  you  was,  neither.  I  just  pulled 
him  out  of  th'  wet  and  he  wouldn't  a  kept  up  long, 
if  I  hadn't  done  it,  I  guess." 

"  Who  put  you  up  to  this  ?  "  Gans  asked.  He  was 
stricken  with  admiration  of  Jimmy,  and  relenting; 
but  his  suspicions  died  hard.  It  was  not  until 
Jimmy  fired  up,  and  declared :  "  Nobody  put  me  up 
t'  nothin !  "  that  he  capitulated.  There  was  no  de 
ception  in  Jimmy's  face,  Gans  told  himself;  which, 
as  a  general  observation,  was  the  finest  compliment 
yet  paid  Jimmy's  subtlety,  and,  in  this  instance, 
happened  also  to  be  the  exact  truth. 

"What  do  you  want  me  to  do?"  Gans  asked, 
after  a  moment's  reflection. 

"  Give  Brady  something  for  that  campaign  fund 
— what  my  old  man  asked  you  for." 

"All  right,"  said  Gans  slowly;  "I'll  give  it  to 
you, — now ;  how  '11  that  do  ?  " 

"  No,"  returned  Jimmy;  "  th'  old  man  '11  come 
'round  t'morrow  night,  and,  if  it's  all  th'  same  t' 
you,  I  wisht  y'  give  it  t'  him" 

"  Yes,  I'll  do  that;  but  what  for?  "  replied  Gans; 
and,  when  Jimmy  laughed  and  said,  "  Oh,  nuthin' !  " 
Gans  wondered  still  more.  He  perceived  faintly 
that  there  were  depths  in  Jimmy  which  it  was  not 
permitted  him  to  sound.  He  had  a  notion  that  he 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  72 

would  like  to  know  more  of  this  young  man.  "  Come 
round  and  see  me  soon,"  he  said  to  Jimmy  at  the 
door.  "  I  may  have  something  for  you  to  do,"  he 
added. 

"  Thank  y'/'  answered  Jimmy.  "  I'll  come  round 
and  see  y',  but  I  got  all  I  can  do  now.  I'm  workin' 
with  Brady." 

And  it  was  working  with  Brady  rather  than  for 
Brady  that  Jimmy  was  doing  then,  and  continued  to 
do  for  some  years.  His  father  died  from  too 
zealous  pursuit  of  bar-room  politics  and  Jimmy 
set  up  for  himself  in  a  modest  little  room  in  his  old 
neighborhood.  But  almost  all  of  his  hours  were 
spent  in  Brady's  company,  and  it  was  not  long  be 
fore  Brady  himself  began  to  say,  "  Jimmy  thinks 
this,"  and  "  Jimmy  said  he  wouldn't  do  that."  It 
was  a  habit  easy  to  fall  into  when  one  enjoyed 
Jimmy's  companionship  and  counsel  for  any  length 
of  time.  Jimmy  had  not  developed  domineering 
ways,  but  he  had  a  quiet  air  of  certainty  about  him 
that  was  wonderfully  convincing,  and  his  scorn  was 
something  fine.  It  underran  his  words  and,  de 
tecting  it,  one  suddenly  forgot  Jimmy's  stature  and 
felt  crushed.  Fortunately,  too,  for  Jimmy,  as  his 
juvenility  wore  off  it  was  succeeded  by  few  of  the 
affectations  of  the  young  man.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  hard  common  sense  in  him ;  and,  besides,  he 
had  such  an  overwhelming  appreciation  of  the 
ridiculous  that,  now  and  then,  he  laughed  at  himself 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  73 

when  others  took  him  most  seriously  as  he,  indeed, 
had  meant  to  take  himself — at  the  moment. 

But  it  was  not  only  by  counsel  that  Jimmy  began 
to  make  for  himself  the  place  in  the  political  world 
which  he  was  to  fill  later  on  with  such  conspicuous 
success.  He  was  being  trained  in  a  school  which 
used  no  books;  hard  knocks  cured  the  learner  of 
follies;  the  prizes  were  inexhaustible  and  rich,  and 
the  lessons  were  taught  at  the  polls,  in  the  rooms 
of  the  ward  leaders  and  at  the  street  corners.  From 
the  day  that  Jimmy  became  Brady's  errand  boy  and 
messenger  he  saw  it  was  by  studying  the  weaknesses 
of  other  men  that  one  made  himself  strong.  After 
all,  be  the  issue  what  it  might  and  the  principle  at 
stake  right  or  wrong,  it  was  the  strongest  man  that 
won  in  the  end;  for  the  laborer  was  worthy  of  his 
hire.  So  Jimmy  began  to  study  men  and,  conse 
quently,  was  always  among  men.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  knew  them  all  by  name,  and,  within  a  few 
years,  these  names  were  so  many  labels  to  particu 
lar  qualities  and  phases  of  usefulness.  In  this  re 
spect  Jimmy  only  carried  the  methods  of  Brady 
and  the  rest  a  step  further,  and,  by  his  quick  per 
ceptions  and  that  trustworthy  ally,  his  memory,  was 
able  to  suggest  a  course  of  action,  or  to  fix 
his  position  more  speedily  than  were  those  around 
him. 

One  of  the  first  conclusions  he  arrived  at — a 
lonely  reflection  of  Sunday  School  days— was  that 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  74 

Goliath  would  have  been  a  poor  politician,  but  that 
David,  probably,  would  have  made  a  good  one.  Not 
because  David  was  brave  and  the  champion  of  the 
oppressed,  but  because  his  weapon  had  a  longer 
range  than  Goliath's.  He  put  the  opinion  to  Brady 
thus,  one  night  when  Brady  was  trying  to  draw  him 
out  and  he  was  willing  to  be  drawn : 

"  There's  no  use  tryin'  t'  lick  a  feller  that's  got  th' 
stone-pile  all  t'  himself.  It's  a  great  sight  better  t' 
let  him  chase  y'  till  y'  light  on  a  stone-pile  fur 
y'rself." 

"  There  ain't  much  nerve  in  doin'  that,"  scoffed 
Brady,  to  see  what  would  be  the  answer. 

"  Nerve's  all  right  when  y'  got  t'  take  medicine ; 
but  I'd  rather  not  get  laid  up,"  Jimmy  replied. 
"  When  you  got  th'  rocks  t'  fire  at  th'  other  feller 
then  y'  can  even  up  on  th'  nerve  business." 

"Smash  'em!  that's  what  I  say,"  chimed  in 
Brady. 

"  But  don't  get  in  trouble  doin'  it !  "  cautioned 
Jimmy.  "  Now,  I'd  rather  not  use  any  rocks  at  all, 
myself,"  he  went  on.  "  Y're  too  liable  t'  break  a 
window,  and  be  pulled  in  for  it.  Th'  best  way  is  t' 
get  th'  other  feller  t'  throw  th'  rocks  and  keep  close  t' 
a  window  y'rself.  Then,  by  and  by,  when  a  window 
i?  cracked,  you  can  stand  round  an'  let  somebody 
else  do  th'  fighting  for  y'." 

Brady  laughed.  "  Y're  a  good  law-abidin'  citizen, 
ain't  ye',  Jimmy  ?  "  he  said  mockingly. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  75 

"Yes,  I'd  stick  by  th'  laws,"  returned  Jimmy; 
"  but  I'd  see  th'  laws  was  th'  right  kind."  Jimmy's 
smile  as  he  said  this  was  beautiful  to  see. 

The  opinion  tickled  Brady.  It  was  a  good  deal 
to  his  own  way  of  thinking;  but,  not  being  gifted 
with  more  than  average  ingenuity,  the  first  failure 
of  his  strategy  made  him  resort  to  violence.  It  was 
in  this  respect  that  he  was  weak.  Jimmy  taught 
him  that  at  the  primary  elections  one  autumn. 

There  was  the  beginning  of  a  reform  movement 
in  the  ward.  The  Citizens'  League  had  come  into 
existence,  and,  wonderful  to  relate,  had  held  to 
gether  and  got  out  of  its  swaddling  clothes.  Now, 
it  was  doing  some  daring  things,  talking  about  a 
good  many  more  it  was  going  to  do,  and,  here  and 
there,  giving  annoyance  to  the  "  regulars  "  among 
the  politicians.  Brady,  up  to  this  time,  had  not  been 
seriously  interfered  with  by  it.  But,  during  the 
summer,  the  League  had  worked  energetically 
among  the  voters  of  the  Twelfth  Ward,  and  ex 
pected,  with  some  reason,  to  carry  the  elections  there 
in  a  number  of  the  districts.  Brady  was  for  intimi 
dating  the  League's  workers. 

"  Give  'em  a  good  scare,  an'  they'll  run,"  he  de 
clared.  He  knew  of  a  score  of  "bruisers"  who 
would  delight  in  the  thing. 

Jimmy  objected.  "  You're  likely  tr  run  up  against 
a  snag,"  he  said.  "  They're  onto  that  game.  Even 
if  th'  police  want  t'  keep  their  eyes  shut,  they'll  have 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  76 

t'  keep  'em  open  this  time;  th'  League's  watching 
th'  police  and  us,  too." 

Then,  Brady  spoke  of  another  way.  He  did  not 
say  so  in  as  many  words,  for  that  was  never  done, 
but  everyone  knew  that  he  meant  that  something 
might  happen  to  the  ballot  boxes — if  occasion 
demanded. 

Jimmy  again  objected.  "What's  th'  use?"  he 
said.  "  We  can  vote  enough  men  t'  down  'em." 

"  Not  with  those  '  watchers  '  " ;  returned  Brady. 
He  was  rather  glad  to  be  able  to  answer  Jimmy 
with  his  own  words. 

"  Why  not  give  th'  '  watchers '  something  else 
tj  think  about?"  suggested  Jimmy,  unembarrassed. 

"  What  do  y'  mean?  How  're  y'  goin'  t'  do  it?  " 
asked  Brady. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  I  ain't  thought  much  about 
it  yet.  But  all  y'  got  t'  do  is  t'  give  'em  something  t' 
amuse  'em;  I  bet  they'd  trip  up,  if  y'  give  'em  half 
a  chance." 

"  Well,  go  ahead,  an'  trip  'em  up,  'f  y'  can,"  re 
turned  Brady.  "  Only  don't  yJ  get  us  in  a  hole." 
The  caution  was  not  needed,  and  Brady  should  have 
known  it.  But  he  was  a  little  sore  over  Jimmy's  ob 
jections  to  his  plans.  "  I'll  fix  it  so  we  won't  get 
left  in  th'  end,"  he  concluded. 

So  it  was  understood.  Brady  would  see  that 
enough  votes  were  "  counted  in  "  for  his  candidates 
to  secure  their  nomination — failing  an  actual  deposit 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  77 

of  those  votes  at  the  polls.  And  Jimmy — Jimmy 
was  to  do  what  he  could  to  check  interference  at  the 
polling  places — that  is  interference  with  the  men 
who  came  there  prepared  to  vote  often  enough  to 
make  Brady's  candidates  successful. 

On  the  evening  of  the  primary  elections  Jimmy 
was  moving  about  the  polling  places  at  which  it  was 
known  that  the  Citizens'  League  would  concentrate 
its  efforts.  At  these  places  he  soon  picked  out  two 
well  dressed  young  men  who  were  acting  as  "  watch 
ers  "  for  the  League.  One  of  these  was  young  Gans 
whom  Jimmy  had  once  rescued.  Their  business  was 
to  stop  "  repeating"  (the  casting  of  more  than  one 
vote  by  each  man)  and  to  see  that  no>  one  who  was 
not  on  the  official  list  of  voters  deposited  a  vote. 
They  were  alert  and  well  informed  apparently,  and 
as  Jirnmy  was  aware,  were  within  their  rights  in 
doing  what  they  did.  As  it  was  they  were  a  serious 
menace  to  the  interests  of  Brady.  After  Jimmy  had 
seen  them  stop  and  turn  back,  or  "  protest "  half  a 
dozen  men  who  came  up  to  vote,  he  thought  the 
occasion  ripe  to  act. 

The  next  time  that  they  approached  an  intending 
voter  Jimmy  went  up  to  the  police  officer  nearby. 
"  There's  those  fellers,"  he  said.  "  Now,  run  'em  in. 
You  know  th'  charge." 

The  officer  stepped  up  to  the  young  men.  "  Y'll 
have  t'  come  with  me/'  he  said.  "  Y're  under 
arrest." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  78 

"  Nonsense !  "  returned  young  Cans.  "  Non 
sense  !  "  We're  doing  what  we've  a  right  to  do, 
and  you  know  it.  We're  duly  appointed  '  watch 
ers  '  of  the  Citizens'  League.  We're  entirely  within 
the  law.  If  you  arrest  us,  you  do  it  at  your  peril." 

"  That's  all  right,"  said  the  officer.  "  I  know 
what  I'm  doin'.  I've  been  watchin'  you  two.  Come 
along!  Y'  can  make  y'r  kick  at  th'  station  house." 

The  men  protested  again.  Then  one  of  them  got 
angry  and  was  for  resisting  the  officer;  Cans  per 
suaded  him  that  this  would  be  a  mistake.  They 
walked  with  the  officer  to  the  station  house,  a  crowd 
following  and  having  plenty  of  fun  at  their  expense. 
Jimmy,  discreetly,  had  kept  in  the  background; 
neither  of  the  men  knew  that  he  had  had  a  hand  in 
their  arrest. 

"  What's  th'  charge?  "  asked  the  house  sergeant. 

"  Impersonatin'  an  officer,"  answered  the  police 
man  who  had  brought  them  in. 

"  Wliat  ?  "  exclaimed  Cans.  But  the  officer  went 
on  imperturbably :  "  They  was  telling  voters  t'  move 
on." 

"  What  have  you  got  t'  say  ?  "  demanded  the  ser 
geant,  addressing  the  men. 

"  That  we  weren't  impersonating  an  officer,  that 
we  haven't  broken  any  law,  and  that  we  were  simply 
doing  our  duty  as  regularly  appointed  '  watchers  ' 
of  the  Citizens'  League  to  assist  in  preventing  illegal 
voting,"  replied  Cans  quickly. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  79 

"  What  have  y'  got  t'  prove  y'r  charge,  officer  ?  " 
asked  the  sergeant. 

"  This  here !  "  replied  the  policeman.  Before 
either  of  the  prisoners  could  resist  the  movement  he 
had  pulled  open  the  coat  of  the  nearest  of  them  and 
disclosed  a  detective's  badge,  pinned  on  the  lapel  of 
the  vest.  Its  wearer  lost  command  of  himself. 

The  sergeant  drew  in  his  breath  sharply.  "  How 
comes  it  y're  wearin'  this?  "  he  said.  "  Are  you  an 
officer?" 

"  I  demand  that  we  be  taken  before  a  magistrate," 
said  Gans  who  seemed  to  have  his  wits  about  him. 
"  We  won't  answer  any  questions  here;  and  you've 
got  to  give  us  a  regular  hearing." 

The  sergeant  knew  that  the  demand  was  a  proper 
"one — one  that  he  could  not,  with  safety,  refuse.  He 
told  the  officer  to  take  the  men  to  the  magistrate  of 
that  district.  Jimmy  ran  ahead  to  the  magistrate's; 
but,  when  they  arrived,  he  was  outside,  and  followed 
them  in. 

The  magistrate  made  quick  work  of  the  case.  He 
heard  the  officer,  he  heard  the  men,  and  he  examined 
the  badge.  "  I'll  commit  you  for  a  further  hearing," 
he  said.  "  If  you  are  '  watchers  '  for  the  Citizens' 
League  they  will  identify  you,  and,  perhaps,  they 
can  explain  about  this  badge.  Take  them  out, 
officer !  "  The  officer  "  took  them  out." 

Jimmy  hastened  to  the  polls.  But  there  was  no 
need  of  his  services  there  now.  Brady's  men  voted 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  80 

as  often  and  as  freely  as  they  wanted,  and  Jimmy 
knew  that  Brady  would  not  be  called  on  to  adopt 
his  radical  plan  of  "  adjusting  "  the  vote.  So  he 
strolled  back  to  headquarters. 

"  How's  everything  goin'  ?  "  asked  Brady. 

"  All  serene,"  answered  Jimmy.  "  Any  one  can 
count  th'  ballots  in  th'  boxes  I  saw  being  filled.  Our 
man's  got  a  solid  majority." 

"How  do  y'  know?" 

"  Saw  th'  votes  put  in." 

"  But  what  about  them  League  '  watchers?  '  Was 
they  blind?" 

"  No,  but  they  wasn't  there  but  a  little  while;  they 
got — cold — and  went  indoors." 

"What  'rey'  gettin'  at?" 

"  Oh,  nuthin'.  Only  they  was  so  anxious  t'  get 
all  th'  cards  in  their  hands  that  I  just  helped  'em  t' 
a  few  of  mine;  and  my  cards  was  marked." 

Jimmy  was  in  particularly  good  humor,  but  af 
fected  unconcern.  Brady  was  one  of  those  with 
whom  such  a  cheap  deceit  had  effect.  "  It  was  this 
way,"  went  on  Jimmy.  "  They  was  goin'  t'  make 
everything  dead  sure  this  time,  they  thought;  and 
so  they  hired  that  detective,  Kelly  t'  go  along  with 
'em  and  help  'em  in  their  spottin'.  I  heard  that,  and 
I  put  Kelly  ont'  a  game.  He  got  t'  talkin'  t'  'em 
about  how  useful  a  detective's  badge  was,  and  Cans 
— one  of  th'  fellers,  that  thinks  he's  as  smart  as  y' 
make  'em, — said  it  would  be  a  good  idea  t'  get  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  81 

badge  like  that,  and  wear  it.  He  asked  Kelly  if  it 
couldn't  be  managed.  Kelly  laid  off  and  said  it 
might  get  him  in  trouble.  But,  by  and  by,  he  caved 
in,  and  one  of  'em  got  th'  badge.  They  promised 
Kelly  they'd  keep  it  hid,  and  only  show  it  if  they 
had  t'.  Kelly  told  me  what'd  happened,  and  I  put 
th'  officer  at  th'  place  they  was  at  ont'  th'  thing,  early 
in  th'  evenin'.  When  I  dropped  round,  later,  I  seen 
those  fellers  gettin'  in  their  fine  work,  knocking  out 
our  men.  Then  I  give  th'  signal  t'  th'  officer,  and 
he  pulled  'em  in.  Of  course,  I  had  th'  sergeant 
primed,  and  I  put  th'  magistrate  ont'  it  as  soon  as 
I  heard  they  was  goin'  there.  Kelly  had  cleared  out 
when  they  was  nabbed;  and  they'll  stand  by  him, 
any  way.  He's  got  th'  call  on  'em,  for  he  give  'em 
a  song  an'  dance  about  th'  risk  he  was  runnin'. 
So,  now,  they're  in  th'  station  house  where  they're 
likely  t'  spend  a  part  of  th'  night,  and — and,  when 
they're  got  out,  it  won't  make  no  difference  t'  us, 
anyway." 

Brady,  listening  to  this  recital,  secretly  confessed 
that  there  still  were  a  number  of  things  in  political 
strategy  which  he  had  to  learn.  Which,  by  the  way, 
was  a  modest  statement  of  Jimmy's  personal  opinion 
of  Brady. 


CHAPTER  IV  82 

EARLY  one  afternoon  about  two  weeks  later 
Jimmy  went  to  his  room  to  pack  a  satchel. 
Brady  wanted  him  to  go  up  to  the  State 
Capital  to  see  about  the  contract  for  some  school 
supplies  out  of  which  he  expected  to  reap  the  politi 
cal  middleman's  share  of  profit.     But  Jimmy  missed 
the  train  which  he  should  have  taken  on  that  day. 

On  his  bureau  he  found  a  letter  bearing  the  date 
of  the  day  before.  He  recognized  the  handwriting 
at  once,  and  tore  open  the  envelope.  The  letter  was 
as  follows : 

"  DEAR  JIMMY  :  When  you  get  this  I'll  be  Mrs. 
Marcus  Doran.  I've  been  thinking  about  it  a  good 
while  and  I'd  told  you  about  it  only  I  knew  you 
wouldn't  like  it.  That's  the  only  reason  I'm  kind  of 
sorry.  But  I'm  making  up  for  keeping  it  such  a 
secret  by  telling  you  now,  before  anyone  else  knows 
anything  about  it.  It  is  a  dead  secret  and  even 
Marcus  doesn't  know  I'm  writing  this  to  you.  We've 
run  away,  across  the  river ;  we  can  get  married  there 
without  making  any  fuss — the  way  Marcus  wanted. 
Come  round  and  see  us  as  soon  as  we  get  back.  I 
want  you  to  like  Marcus  better,  and  you  will — - 
when  I'm  Mrs.  Marcus  Doran  instead  of — 

"  KATE  MAYNE." 


J.   DEVLIN—  BOSS  83 

Jimmy  read  this  letter  twice  without  pause.  At 
first  he  almost  thought  it  might  be  one  of  Kate's 
jokes;  she  was  always  trying  to  plague  him.  But 
soon  he  understood  that  it  was  written  earnestly,  and 
he  leaned  against  the  window  frame,  looking  down 
into  the  street  and  seeing  nothing  there,  while  a 
great  many  things  passed  swiftly  through  his  mind. 
For  the  first  time  since  his  manhood  days  he  felt  a 
curious  stirring  at  his  heart  which  hurt  him.  Some 
how,  he  hated  himself  because  this  thing  had  come 
to  pass.  He  wondered  if  he  could  have  prevented 
it,  if  he  had  known  about  it  in  advance.  But,  then, 
he  gave  himself  a  shake,  and  all  his  thoughts  became 
centered  on  Kate  and  on  what  she  had  done  and  what 
would  come  of  it. 

Kate,  the  high-spirited,  the  clever,  the  ambitious,  — 
married  !  He  could  hardly  realize  it.  And  to  Mar 
cus  whose  spirits  were  most  often  nothing  more  than 
loud  words,  whose  cleverness  was  a  very  doubtful 
craftiness,  whose  ambitions  were  little  more  than 
greed  !  Marcus  who  was  shifty  and  selfish  !  It  was 
Marcus  who  once  had  declared  in  Jimmy's  hearing, 
"  Only  a  fool  lets  a  girl  coax  him  int'  marryin'  her." 
Yet  this  was  the  same  Marcus  who  had  now  married 
a  girl  whom,  Jimmy  told  himself,  he  had  treated  all 
along  with  indifference.  But  had  he?  Jimmy  re 
membered  incidents  that  brought  him  up  sharply. 
Suddenly,  he  understood  that  self-occupation  had 
made  him  blind  to  many  things  about  Kate  and 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  84 

Marcus.     He  was  surprised  to  discover  how  stupid 
he  had  been. 

He  could  almost  recall  the  day  now  on  which 
Kate  had  said  to  him,  "  Marcus  ain't  so  bad.  He's 
beginning  to  take  notice  of  things."  She  laughed  in 
a  peculiar  way  that  meant  nothing  to  Jimmy  at  the 
time,  for  he  was  very  busy  just  then  with  some  plans 
of  his  own.  Later  on  he  had  come  upon  Marcus, 
one  evening,  escorting  Kate  to  a  dance,  and  she  had 
given  Jimmy  a  saucy  nod  and  immediately  had 
something  exceedingly  confidential  to  say  to  her 
companion.  Jimmy  had  almost  remembered  to 
speak  to  Kate  about  that  snub,  but  he  had  not  done 
it.  Again,  once  when  Jimmy  had  come  to  call  upon 
her,  she  had  told  him  over  the  banisters  that  she  was 
going  out,  and  would  he  come  in  some  other  time? 
No  day  was  mentioned  and  her  voice  was  very  im 
patient — Jimmy  had  noticed  that.  But,  while  this 
was  not  the  way  Kate  had  been  used  to  treat  him, 
any  disappointment  he  felt  was  obliterated  by  the 
pressure  of  other  subjects  upon  his  attention.  The 
nearest  he  could  remember  to  having  come  to  a 
realization  of  the  truth  was  one  afternoon  when,  driv 
ing  through  the  Park,  with  some  visiting  politicians, 
they  had  passed  a  smart  looking  buggy.  It  was 
drawn  up  at  the  side  of  an  unfrequented  road.  In  it 
were  Marcus  and  Kate.  They  were  deeply  inter 
ested  in  each  other's  company.  Jimmy  had  taken 
off  his  hat  unnoticed  by  either  of  them.  Chagrin 


J    DEVLIN— BOSS  85 

might  have  worked  upon  his  feelings  at  this 
discomfiture,  if  he  had  had  less  distinguished  per 
sons  as  his  guests.  As  it  was 

He  checked  his  reminiscences.  What  was  the  use 
of  all  this  now?  The  thing  was  done.  Kate  was 
married,  and  he  (Jimmy)  was — very  busy  with  the 
affairs  of  his  own  life.  At  the  present  moment  he 
had  an  important  and  delicate  piece  of  business  to 
transact.  With  a  little  sigh,  of  which  he  was  scarcely 
conscious,  he  folded  the  letter  slowly,  put  it  into 
his  pocket,  and  began  to  pack  his  satchel.  But  it 
took  a  long  time  to  pick  out  the  few  articles  he 
wanted.  Now  and  then,  he  found  himself  standing 
inactive  with  some  piece  of  clothing  in  his  hand, 
his  mind  wandering  over  things  furthest  removed 
from  the  packing  of  a  satchel  or  the  details  of  a  con 
tract  for  school  supplies.  Again,  he  was  standing 
by  the  window,  gazing  vacantly  across  the  house 

tops,  wondering  where ?  It  could  be  nothing 

else  than  where  he  would  be  if  he  had  not  missed 
that  train  to  the  State  Capital.  So,  with  each  re 
covery  of  himself,  he  pursed  his  lips  and  shook  his 
head  angrily. 

But,  for  some  time  afterward,  these  spells  of  unac 
countable  preoccupation  overtook  Jimmy,  and  he 
had  to  bring  himself  smartly  to  book  by  application 
to  his  immediate  duties  and  plans.  Indeed  he  came 
so  to  fear  the  influence  of  this  subtle  abstraction 
that,  lest  he  might  stimulate  it,  he  did  not  go  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  86 

see  Kate  and  Marcus  for  several  weeks  after  they 
returned  from  their  wedding  trip.  He  was  too  busy 
to  go,  he  reasoned. 

Kate  and  Marcus  had  rented  one  of  a  row  of  tiny, 
two-story,  brick  houses  not  far  from  Jimmy's  rooms. 
Marcus  was  prospering.  His  position  with  the  firm 
of  contractors  had  become  an  important  one.  He 
was  a  good  deal  among  politicians;  occasionally,  he 
and  Jimmy  came  upon  one  another.  But  no  words 
were  wasted  between  them. 

Kate  was  like  a  bird  with  a  nest  to  line.  She  was 
always  at  home,  running  up  and  down  stairs,  fixing 
this  and  that,  a  dozen  times  changing  the  place  of 
some  piece  of  furniture,  cocking  her  head  sideways 
to  determine  the  effect  of  a  picture  or  hanging.  She 
sang  all  day — to  herself.  She  was  in  the  Heaven 
of  her  girlish  dreams.  In  the  morning  she  clung  to 
Marcus  till  the  last  moment,  and,  with  jealous  eyes, 
watched  him  swagger  down  the  street.  She  was  at 
the  window  when  he  returned  in  the  evening;  bis 
latchkey  became  almost  a  superfluity  to  him.  All  of 
the  joy  which  Kate  did  not  find  in  Marcus's  big 
figure,  black  eyes  and  indulgent  approval  of  her,  she 
found  in  the  six  rooms  which  made  up  her  world. 
Even  Jimmy  passed  from  her  mind  for  the  time 
being. 

Then,  one  day,  she  came  upon  him  on  the  street, 
and  she  recollected  with  a  little  pang  how  she  had 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  87 

neglected  him.  "  Oh,  Jimmy !  "  she  exclaimed  as  he 
took  her  hand.  "  Won't  you  come  and  see  us?  " 

Jimmy's  eyes  twinkled.  "  It's  real  kind  of  you  t' 
remember  my  name,"  he  said  stiffly. 

Kate  was  penitent.  "  Oh,  you  know "  she 

began. 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  remarked  Jimmy  significantly. 

"  But  you  didn't  let  me  finish,"  she  protested. 
"  I  was  going  to  say  that  I've  been  busy — fixing  up 
the  house  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  I  didn't  want 
anybody  to  see  it  till  it  was  done.  But  now  it's 
ready.  Won't  you  come  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I'll  come — to-night,"  replied  Jimmy. 

And  come  he  did.  Marcus  said  "  Good  evening  " 
to  him,  remarked  that  he  had  an  errand  to  do  down 
town,  and  left.  Jimmy  gave  no  sign  that  he  was 
disturbed,  and  Kate  that  evening,  for  the  first  time, 
found  herself  talking  of  other  things  than  Marcus 
and  the  house.  When  she  realized  this,  after  Jimmy 
was  gone,  she  was  puzzled  to  say  how  it  had  been. 

But  Jimmy  did  not  repeat  his  visit,  and,  when 
next  she  saw  him,  Kate  chided  him  for  his  delin 
quency.  "When  are  you  coming  in  again?"  she 
asked. 

"  Don't  know.  I'm  afraid  of  makin'  Marcus 
worse." 

"  Marcus  worse  ?  "  echoed  Kate. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jimmy,  wagging  his  head.     "  His 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  88 

eyesight 's  failin',  and  every  time  he  comes  across  me 
it  seems  t'  get  worse." 

Kate's  pretty  eyebrows  drew  together.  Then, 
various  remarks  made  by  Marcus  about  Jimmy  re 
curred  to  her.  She  laughed  to  cover  her  confusion. 
But  Jimmy  made  no  mistake  about  that  laugh.  He 
knew  that  Marcus's  dislike  for  him  was  a  real  dis 
appointment  to  her.  He  was  sorry  for  this.  He 
was  quite  sure  that  her  hope  of  making  them  friends 
would  never  be  fulfilled.  He  believed  that  Kate, 
deep  down  in  her  heart,  acknowledged  as  much. 
Marcus  made  no  effort  to  conceal  his  animosity; 
Jimmy's  face  grew  hard  when  he  saw  Marcus.  In 
deed,  it  was  for  Kate's  sake  that  Jimmy  kept  out  of 
Marcus's  way  as  much  as  he  could,  and  had  plausible 
excuses  when  Kate  rebuked  him  for  not  calling  more 
often. 

Marcus,  for  some  time,  believed  himself  perfectly 
happy  in  his  home,  and  contented  with  his  success 
elsewhere.  He  was  making  money;  he  generally 
managed  to  add  something  to  his  regular  earnings 
by  secret  manipulation  of  contracts.  Among  his 
associates  he  was  spoken  of  as  "  a  sharp  one."  They 
patted  him  on  the  back,  and  he  spent  his  money 
freely  among  them.  He  delighted  to  affect  the  ways 
of  "  a  good  fellow."  All  his  acquaintances  declared 
that  he  was  "  dead  lucky."  For  a  while,  it  was 
amusing  and  flattered  his  vanity  to  say  to  them,  "  I 
guess  I  won't  be  with  you  t'night.  My  wife — 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  89 

jealous  as  she  can  be.  Can't  break  her  in  all  at  once, 
you  know." 

It  was  his  habit,  when  he  came  home,  to  stretch 
himself  out,  and  let  Kate  wait  on  him.  She  was  so 
anxious  to  do  it,  he  felt  that  he  was  quite  indulgent. 
Like  some  big  dog  he  took  possession  of  the  most 
comfortable  lounging  place  and  blinked  his  eyes 
while  she  ministered  to  his  wants,  now  hurrying 
supper,  now  fetching  him  an  old  coat,  now  a  cigar  or 
pipe.  And  he  would  drop  her  a  lazy  word  of  ap 
proval.  "  You're  a  pretty  good  sort  of  a  wife, 
Kate,"  he  would  say.  "You  ain't  any  fool;  you 
know  how  t'  keep  a  man  at  home,  don't  you?  " 

He  accepted  her  adoration  as  one  of  the  pleasant 
things  to  which  his  support  of  her  entitled  him.  He 
wasn't  exactly  ungrateful.  He  appreciated  her  good 
qualities  in  an  indolent  fashion  at  first ;  then  took  her 
care  of  his  comfort  more  and  more  for  granted,  or 
did  not  bother  himself  about  it. 

But,  by  and  by,  down-town  there  was  an  occa 
sional  laugh  when  Marcus  referred  to  his  wife  or 
made  excuses  for  not  joining  a  party.  Then  Mar 
cus  began  to  awake  to  the  fact  that  he  was  an  ex 
ceptional  husband.  He  questioned  whether  Kate 
valued  him  as  she  should.  Her  watch  over  his  ease 
showed  that  she  was  clever,  not  unselfish,  he  told 
himself.  His  joke  about  her  schemes  to>  keep  him 
with  her  ceased  to  be  a  joke.  He  was  spoiling  her, 
he  decided;  she  was  taking  advantage  of  his  good 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  90 

nature.  He  meant  that  she  should  see  that  he  was 
aware  of  this;  at  least,  it  would  make  her  esteem 
him  more  highly.  So  he  took  her  to  task  frequently 
when  she  did  not  promptly  anticipate  his  desires,  and 
was  less  appreciative  of  what  she  did.  Next  he  in 
formed  her  that  he  was  entirely  too  much  at  home, 
any  way.  She  must  teach  herself  to  get  along 
without  him.  All  of  which,  much  to  his  gratifica 
tion,  had  the  effect  he  thought  it  would. 

Kate's  affection  was  alarmed.  She  redoubled  her 
attentions  to  his  comfort.  She  convinced  him  that 
he  had  been  too  amiable,  and  that  he  had  only  to 
quicken  her,  now  and  tfien,  with  a  complaint  or 
threat  to  secure  fresh  consideration.  This  was  a 
game  suited  to  Marcus's  taste;  and,  for  a  time,  he 
was  satisfied  with  the  diversion  it  afforded.  But, 
when  Kate  had  lavished  on  him  all  that  devotion  and 
thoughtfulness  could  suggest,  he  began  to  be  sur 
feited.  Her  mindfulness  annoyed  him. 

"  Go  away !  Don't  worry  me  with  all  that  truck !  " 
he  would  tell  her  when  she  brought  him  a  cushion 
for  his  chair,  or  tried  to  put  a  scarf  around  his  neck 
of  a  cold  morning.  He  would  follow  such  rebukes 
with  a  laugh,  and  sometimes  would  make  careless 
amends  with  a  caress.  But,  several  times  he  went 
off  in  the  morning  without  kissing  her,  partly  from 
forgetfulness,  partly  because  she  irritated  him  by 
clinging  to  him.  Presently,  he  decided  that  not  to 
kiss  her  had  a  good  effect.  When  she  reminded 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  91 

him  of  the  omission  he  kissed  her  impatiently,  or 
lightly  told  her  to  wait  till  he  came  home.  He  did 
not  know  that,  on  such  mornings,  she  cried  after 
he  had  gone;  if  he  had  known  it,  it  might  have 
made  him  momentarily  repentant.  But  it  would 
not  have  made  him  depart  from  the  course  along 
which  he  was  assuredly  drifting,  idly  at  first,  then  of 
intention. 

He  was  soon  quite  sure  that  Kate  needed  to  be 
"  broken  in."  He  was  entitled  to  a  freer  rein ;  he 
must  make  a  stand  or  she  would  restrict  his  liberty 
still  more.  Marcus  grew  philosophic,  reflecting  on 
this.  Somehow,  it  never  occurred  to  Kate  that  phil 
osophy  had  any  bearing  on  the  situation. 

But  about  this  time  came  the  baby,  and  with  it 
the  birth  of  a  great  hope  in  Kate's  breast.  The 
baby  was  a  boy;  she  named  it  John  after  her  father 
who,  with  her  mother,  long  since  dead,  was  but  a 
faint  memory,  yet  one  in  sharp  contrast  to  her  recol 
lection  of  her  aunt — that  harsh,  illiterate  old  woman 
who  had  been  her  nominal  protector  before  Marcus 
carried  her  off. 

The  baby  was  a  fat,  lusty  fellow,  and  his  cries 
echoed  through  the  house.  Marcus  was  dum- 
founded  by  the  baby's  appearance;  when  he  was 
told  it  was  the  image  of  himself,  he  made  some  pom 
pous  predictions  for  its  future  as  he  planned  it.  But, 
between  its  smiling,  rosy,  crowing  moods  and  the 
later  continuous-variety-performance  of  lamenta- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  92 

tions,  cramp-contorted  gymnastics  and  fretful,  low- 
keyed  wailing  over  the  woes  of  cutting  teeth,  he  de 
clared  that  there  should  be  longer  periods  of  rest. 
The  baby,  as  a  toy  that  worked,  was  interesting  to 
him  in  idle  moments;  but  the  baby,  not  consenting 
to  be  a  marionette,  he  soon  lost  patience  with  it  and, 
then,  his  interest  in  it. 

To  Kate  the  baby  was  a  living  joy.  She  was  ever 
occupied  in  learning  the  lessons  it  taught  her;  in 
identifying  those  hundreds  of  little  actions  and 
sounds  and  expressions  for  each  one  of  which  her 
heart  bade  her  look  and  her  love  supplied  a  name. 
Like  a  flower  unfolding  itself  before  her,  the  baby 
with  every  day  disclosed  to  her  mother-eyes  depths 
of  purity  and  beauty  and  promise  that"  were  hid  to 
all  grosser  visions.  So,  revelling  in  these,  her  ec 
stasy  made  sweeter  by  the  fears  that  smote  her  with 
every  sign  of  mortal  frailty  in  the  baby,  she  forgot 
to  be  troubled  by  what  had  hurt  her  so  cruelly  be 
fore.  With  her  it  was  always  the  baby  first, 
Marcus  next.  And  it  was  often  only  Marcus,  then, 
to  pour  into  his  ears  what  the  baby  had  whispered 
to  her  when  they  two  were  alone. 

So,  insensibly,  she  fell  in  with  Marcus's  desires, 
and,  before  she  knew  it,  had  let  slip  from  her  the 
chance,  if  chance  there  was,  to  hold  him  to  her. 
When  she  realized  what  a  gap  lay  between  their  old 
life  and  the  new,  her  desperate  efforts  to  bridge  the 
gap  earned  for  her  scoffs  that  wounded  her  none 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  93 

the  less  because  Marcus  called  them  "  common- 
sense  "  not  "  silly  trash/' 

She  fled  to  the  baby's  side,  and,  with  its  fuzzy 
head  against  her  cheek,  said  she  was  recompensed. 
But  was  she?  At  least,  she  was  content  to  spend 
more  time  alone.  She  had  never  had  many  girl 
friends;  the  few  such  friendships  died  of  inani 
mation  after  she  married.  As  for  Jimmy  she  saw 
him  almost  not  at  all. 

Jimmy,  without  forgetting  Kate,  it  is  to  be  con 
fessed,  was  too  busy  to  ponder  on  their  separation, 
as,  perhaps,  he  should  have  done.  When  he  heard 
of  the  arrival  of  the  baby  he  sent  a  token  of  his  con 
gratulation  in  the  form  of  a  mug.  It  was  a  mag 
nificent  affair,  quite  a  masterpiece  of  the  silver 
smith's  art.  The  salesman  had  suggested  to  Jimmy 
a  plain  mug  with  a  monogram.  Jimmy  was  deri 
sive.  His  own  ideas  were  somewhat  vague;  but 
the  salesman  was  quick  of  perception.  So  the  cup 
was  ordered  and  made — of  large  size,  frosted  and 
a  net-work  of  engraving,  Cupids  everywhere,  a  cor 
nucopia  of  flowers;  scrolls  unrolling  from  brim  to 
bottom,  and  on  one  of  these,  "  Welcome  Little 
Stranger,"  and  on  the  other  "  For  John  Doran  from 
J.  Devlin ",  and  the  date.  Also,  by  way  of  a 
handle,  there  was  an  outstretched  dog  trying  to 
drink  from  the  cup's  edge.  The  affinity  of  dogs  and 
boys  was  very  clear  to  Jimmy's  mind.  The  mug 
weighed  about  a  pound. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  94 

Kate  was  delighted  with  the  gift.  She  had  mis 
givings  of  its  immediate  usefulness  to  the  baby,  but 
that  was  beside  the  point.  So  she  closed  the  baby's 
curling,  fat  fingers  on  it,  and  supported  it  in  front 
of  his  face.  The  baby  was  terror-stricken  at  the 
sight  of  so  much  shining  metal,  and  the  cup  was  re 
moved  and  placed  in  its  satin-lined  box  on  the  man 
tel-shelf. 

Marcus  said  "  Humph!"  when  the  mug  was 
shown  to  him;  but  Kate  wrote  a  begging  letter  to 
Jimmy;  and  Jimmy  answered  it  in  person  one  eve 
ning  when  Marcus  was  out — an  opportunity  not 
hard  to  find. 

Kate,  her  face  radiant,  took  him  into  the  sitting 
room  on  the  second  floor  where  she  could  hear  the 
baby  in  the  communicating  room,  if  he  cried. 

Jimmy  was  in  high  spirits.  It  gave  him  a  queer 
little  feeling  that  was  partly  regret  of  what  might 
have  been,  partly  rejoicing  at  being  called  into 
Kate's  confidence  once  more,  to  be  sitting  alone  with 
her  here.  A  suggestion  of  reserve  tinged  her  man 
ner;  he  almost  caught  an  apologetic  tone  in  her 
greeting  which  surprised  him.  Otherwise,  she  and 
he  might  have  been  the  Kate  and  Jimmy  of  news 
paper  days. 

By  and  by,  he  demanded  to  see  the  baby  and 
Kate  took  him  into  the  next  room.  But  he  must  be 
very  quiet.  Jimmy  went  on  tip-tae  to  the  side  of 
the  crib.  "  He's  asleep,"  whispered  Kate. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  95 

"  No,  he  ain't,"  said  Jimmy.  "  He's  playin'  off; 
I  just  saw  him  wink  at  me." 

Kate  laughed  softly,  and  shook  her  head.  But 
the  baby  belied  her  judgment.  He  blinked  several 
times  at  Jimmy's  face  bent  over  him  in  the  half 
light,  then  set  his  eyes  in  a  round  stare. 

"  I  told  you  so,"  said  Jimmy,  and,  with  cautious 
finger,  tickled  the  baby's  cheeks.  "  Why,  he's  a 
reg'lar  little  monkey,  ain't  he?  "  he  remarked. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  returned  Kate  quickly.  "  And 
aren't  his  nose  and  hair  sweet  ?  Look  at  them !  " 

"  I'm  lookin'  for  'em,  as  hard  as  I  can,"  replied 
Jimmy;  "but,  I  guess  he  don't  wear  'em  at  night." 

"  He's  got  more  nose  than  you  have,  anyway !  " 
retorted  Kate. 

"  That's  so,"  admitted  Jimmy  ruefully.  "  And — 
he'll — grow,"  he  added  trying  to  say  something  to 
placate  her.  He  looked  hard  at  the  baby  for  a  mo 
ment  in  silence,  then  turned  to  Kate.  "  What  're 
you  goin'  t'  do  with  him — when  he  grows  up?  "  he 
asked. 

"  I  don't  know — exactly,"  said  Kate,  slowly. 
The  future  was  something  she  avoided  being  too 
sure  about. 

"  Well,  I  tell  you,"  went  on  Jimmy,  straightening 
up ;  "  I  tell  you  what  I  wisht  you'd  do.  I  wisht  you'd 
let  me  have  him,— when  he's  ready  t'  start  in.  I 
don't  know  but  what  I  could  give  him  a  boost.  Un 
less—of  course — his — his  father — ."  He  did  not 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  96 

finish  the  sentence,  and  Kate  did  not  ask  what  he 
was  going  to  say. 

"  Maybe,  I  will,"  she  answered.  "  But  he's  got 
a  good  many  years  with  me  first." 

Back  in  the  sitting  room  again,  Jimmy  sat  for 
several  minutes  without  speaking,  his  eyes  travel 
ing  over  the  room  and  then  coming  to  rest  on  Kate. 
She  did  not  understand  his  look.  It  was  almost 
wistful,  and  Jimmy  wistful  was  a  stranger.  She  did 
not  know  what  to  say.  And  Jimmy,  all  at  once,  ap 
peared  to  realize  that  he  was  behaving  queerly. 
She  thought  she  heard  him  sigh,  but  that,  of  course, 
was  a  mistake.  "  A  home's  a  mighty  good  sort  of  a 
place,  ain't  it?"  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  she  admitted,  though  to  say  so  sounded 
like  mockery  to  her. 

"  It's  so — kind  a — kind  a — different  from — other 
places,"  explained  Jimmy. 

"  How  do  you  mean?  "  asked  Kate. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  he  answered,  a  little  embar 
rassed;  and,  then,  more  slowly  and  earnestly, 
"  Only  it's  so  quiet,  and  sort  a  peaceful,  and — it's 
because  it's  all  your  own,  I  guess.  Why,  do  you 
know?  I  feel  just  like  I  was  way  off  from  th'  rest 
of  things,  and,  somehow,  I  don't  want  t'  move. 
Ain't  that  funny?  You  might  think  I  was  losin' 
my  grip  on  things,"  he  added,  attempting  a  laugh. 

"  Yes,  I'm  gettin'  on,"  he  soliloquized  in  such  a 
tone  of  self-pity  that  she  laughed  at  him.  Then,  he 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  97 

reminded  her  of  something  that  had  happened  years 
before.  He  asked  her  if  she  recalled  the  day  when 
he  squashed  a  pumpkin  pie  on  "  Snapper  "  Smith's 
head;  and  she  told  him  exactly  how  it  came  about. 
Then,  she  asked  him  if  he  knew  what  had  become 
of  "  Sneak  "  Patterson,  and  that  brought  to  mind 
some  things  that  seemed  to  have  happened  but  yes 
terday.  He  gave  a  graphic  account  of  them,  in  sev 
eral  particulars  of  which  she  had  to  correct  him. 
And  so  it  went  on.  Once  or  twice,  the  reminis 
cences  approached  a  scene  in  which  Marcus  figured, 
but,  at  such  times,  they  became  disjointed,  and  the 
thread  of  the  narrative  was  taken  up  further  on. 
These  were  moments  too  bright  to  admit  shadows. 
Together  in  the  cool,  darkened  room,  they  raced  the 
streets  again  and  sold  papers,  or  fished  and  played 
pirates  on  the  river  front. 

But,  presently,  the  baby  began  to  cry,  and  Kate 
went  in  and  vainly  tried  to  calm  it.  So  she  brought 
it  out  into  the  sitting-room — a  pink  and  white  mor 
sel,  with  doubled  fists.  She  walked  up  and  down, 
crooning  to  it.  But  the  baby  had  other  views. 
Its  eyes  remained  wide  open;  it  insisted  on  joining 
the  circle. 

Jimmy  who  had  been  looking  on  with  some  awe, 
began  to  fidget  on  his  chair.  Half  a  dozen  times  he 
twisted  about  and  made  an  articulate  sound  which, 
to  Kate's  ears,  resembled  "  Let "  more  than  any 
thing  else.  As  often,  he  got  no  further,  and  faced 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  98 

the  window.  Kate  began  to  regard  him  in  some 
alarm,  and  apologized  for  the  baby. 

Suddenly,  Jimmy  got  up,  and  a  great  resolve  was 
written  on  his  face.  He  took  a  step  toward  Kate. 
"  Say,  supposin' — supposin' — Say,  let  me — hold — it 
— him — th'  baby  a  minute,  won't  you  ?  "  he  blurted 
out.  Now  he  was  crimson,  and  he  laughed  nerv 
ously.  He  extended  his  arms. 

Kate  instinctively  hugged  the  baby  the  tighter, 
watching  Jimmy  with  apprehension.  Then,  her  face 
softened,  and  she  started  toward  him.  All  at  once, 
Jimmy  had  the  baby  in  his  arms. 

He  held  it  awkwardly,  one  arm  under  its  legs, 
the  other  circling  its  body  beneath  the  shoulders. 
But  his  clasp  was  firm,  and  it  seemed  the  baby 
knew  this.  It  gave  a  gurgle  of  delight  and  caught 
at  Jimmy's  chin.  Jimmy's  expression  was  beatific. 
Slowly  his  arms  were  raised  until  the  baby's  head 
rested  against  his  breast. 

Kate  remained  silent;  a  realization  of  something 
missing,  something  infinitely  tender  and  comforting 
choked  her.  Jimmy's  figure  swam  in  a  mist  of  tears 
that  she  brushed  away  unseen  by  him.  And  Jimmy 
stood  silent,  looking  on  the  baby,  everything  about 
him  forgotten,  and  thinking — ?  No  one  else  ever 
knew  what  things  were  in  his  mind. 

So  spell-bound  were  these  three  that  they  heard 
nothing;  and,  suddenly,  Marcus  stood  in  the  door 
way.  He  halted  there,  and  his  lips  curled. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  99 

Jimmy  started  at  sight  of  him,  said  "  Good  eve 
ning,"  and  gave  the  baby  back  to  Kate.  He  turned 
to  look  for  his  hat.  Marcus  spoke. 

"  Quite  a  little  family  party,"  he  said.  "  Don't 
let  me  interrupt  y'." 

"  Not  a  bit,"  answered  Jimmy  cheerily.  "  You 
came  just  in  time.  That  baby's  been  fooled  th' 
worst  kind,  and  th'  little  rascal  never  knew  it." 


CHAPTER   V  100 

JIMMY  walked  home  that  night,  for  the  first 
time  in  many  months,  his  mind  on  anything 
but  politics,  again  and  again  wondering  that 
so  soft  a  thing  as  a  baby's  head  should  make  that 
deep,  warm  hollow  in  one's  breast  where  still  it 
almost  seemed  to  lie.  It  was  not  until  he  was 
dressed  and  out  on  the  street  the  next  morning  that 
this  ridiculous  impression  was  gone.  Yet  any  one 
of  those  who  returned  Jimmy's  brisk  nod  as  he 
stepped  along — and  they  often  were  a  dozen  to  a 
block — would  have  laughed  at  the  suggestion  that 
a  thought  not  bearing  on  the  immediate  interests  of 
Jimmy  in  things  political  could  find  lodgment  in  his 
busy  brain. 

For  now  Jimmy  gave  orders. 

With  quiet,  steady  persistence  he  had  forced  him 
self  into  notice  while  he  yet  worked  Brady's  will; 
but  had  said  nothing  to  indicate  that  he  had  am 
bition  beyond  this  until  that  day  when,  straight  and 
clear  before  him,  broke  the  parting  of  the  ways. 
Then  he  leaped  to  the  front,  and  took  the  path  which 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  take  long  before.  And 
this  it  was,  all  because  Brady  was  stubborn  and 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  101 

would  try  to  put  the  curb  on  Jimmy  and  would  not 
hearken  to  Jimmy's  advice. 

Jimmy  had  been  over  one  evening  to  see  Sam 
Showell  who  held  the  Tenth  Ward  under  his  big 
fist  and  wore  a  diamond  in  his  shirt  front  as  badge 
of  his  office.  Showell  was  ten  years  Jimmy's  senior  ; 
but,  for  all,  as  firm  a  believer  in  Jimmy  as  he  was 
secretly  an  enemy  of  Brady.  It  was  partly  on  this 
account,  partly  because  there  were  qualities  in 
Showell  for  which  he  had  respect  that,  about 
this  time,  Jimmy  had  many  little  talks  with  Showell 
of  which  Brady  knew  not  the  purport. 

It  was  from  one  of  such  consultations  that  Jimmy 
was  going  home  on  this  night,  and,  when  near  to 
his  rooms,  turned  in  at  Mat  Casey's  saloon  to  give 
a  message  to  Casey.  Casey  was  a  little,  lean  Irish 
man,  with  a  face  creased  by  the  smiles  that  were 
always  running  over  it  and  a  tongue  as  nimble  as 
tongue  ever  was.  He  was  a  particular  friend  of 
Jimmy's  and  as  good  a  district  worker  as  the 
Twelfth  Ward  boasted. 

In  Casey's  bar-room,  as  Jimmy  entered,  were  five 
men,  and  one  of  these  Jimmy  recognized  as  "  Buck  " 
Conroy,  a  slinking-,  cadaverous  man  who  swung  a 
vote  oi  considerable  size  to  which  ever  side  had  the 
biggest  pocketbook  in  an  election.  Conroy  had 
"  sold  out  "  Brady  a  few  days  previously,  in  a  minor 
election.  Brady  had  threatened  to  visit  dire  punish 
ment  on  Conroy's  head  for  this,  though  Jimmy  had 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  102 

counseled  diplomatic  methods.  Now,  Conroy  was 
drinking  heavily  and  talking  loudly  to  two  men 
who  stood  at  the  bar  with  him,  one  of  whom  Jimmy 
identified  as  a  "  bruiser  "  in  Brady's  train. 

Jimmy  walked  to  the  end  of  the  bar  behind 
which  Casey,  in  clean,  white  jacket  and  artistically 
waved  and  plastered  hair  was  standing,  and  nodded 
to  him.  Casey  came  over  to  him,  his  face  shining, 
and  they  began  a  whispered  conversation. 

But  suddenly  Conroy  shouted  a  curse  at  one  of 
his  companions,  and  the  latter  called  Conroy  a  liar. 
Conroy  struck  at  him,  the  blow  was  dodged  and 
returned,  and,  instantly,  a  fight  was  on.  Casey 
leaped  the  bar,  bung-starter  in  hand,  Jimmy  started 
forward  to  aid  him.  But  neither  of  them  was  quick 
enough. 

A  man  sitting  at  a  table  had  jumped  up  at  the  first 
sound  of  dispute,  and,  with  the  two  men  drinking 
with  Conroy,  flung  himself  on  the  latter.  Jimmy  was 
shoved  back  by  another  man  who  also  tripped  up 
Casey.  From  the  knot  of  fighting  men  came  the 
sound  of  crashing  blows  and  Conroy's  cries  for 
help.  Then,  the  cries  ceased,  the  fight  stopped,  and 
the  assailants  of  Conroy  rushed  out  into  the  street, 
leaving  the  bar-room  empty  except  for  Jimmy  and 
Casey,  and  Conroy,  lying  bloody  and  unconscious 
on  the  floor.  Moreover,  when  the  police  came  in 
they  could  learn  nothing  definite  regarding  the  fight. 
Jimmy  apparently  was  in  the  dark;  so  was  Casey. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  103 

What  these  two  knew  or  suspected  they  kept  to 
themselves  for  reasons  of  their  own. 

But  the  occurrence  had  cleared  Jimmy's  mind  of 
all  doubts  on  one  point.  He  felt  no  hesitation  now 
in  carrying  out  his  own  plans.  After  the  police  had 
gone  from  Casey's  he  walked  straight  back  to  Sam 
Showell's  rooms.  There  he  remained  until  the  sky 
was  whitening  in  the  East.  Brady  never  knew  that 
Jimmy  had  made  this  midnight  call  on  Showell; 
but,  that  the  former  had  some  distinct  opinions  on  an 
earlier  happening  of  that  same  evening,  he  learned 
within  a  week — a  week,  by  the  way,  in  which  Jimmy 
had  but  few  hours  of  rest  and  not  an  idle  moment 
while  awake. 

The  assault  on  Conroy  made  a  mild  sensation. 
Conroy  himself  seemed  to  have  had  all  recollection 
of  the  affair  beaten  out  of  his  head,  and,  for  several 
days,  was  close  to  death.  But  the  newspapers  that 
were  hostile  to  Brady  declared  that  the  assault  had 
been  planned  by  Brady  in  revenge  for  Conroy's 
"  independence."  They  denounced  Brady  and 
"  Brady's  Bullies." 

Brady  laughed  at  the  names  they  called  him.  He 
had  been  the  target  for  many  such  attacks.  He 
made  no  effort  to  disprove  the  charges  they  brought 
against  him,  though  he  denied  them  to  the  news 
paper  reporters. 

Jimmy  took  quite  another  view  of  the  situation. 
His  opinions  on  political  policy  had  begun  to  crys- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  104 

tallize  some  time  before.  After  turning-  over  the 
question  in  his  mind  for  a  week  he  came  out  boldly 
one  Friday  night. 

"  Brady,"  said  he;  "  You've  been  at  this  game  a 
good  many  more  years  than  me  but  you're  makin' 
a  mistake  now.  Sluggin'  's  played  out.  Don't  you 
think  so?" 

"  Oh,  shut  up !  "  retorted  Brady.  "  You  make  me 
tired!  "  It  was  said  good-naturedly;  but,  somehow, 
it  got  on  Jimmy's  nerves.  "  No,"  he  answered; 
"  I'm  not  goin'  t'  shut  up;  I  '11  have  my  say  out  this 
time.  We've  got  t'  come  t'  an  understandin'." 

Brady  checked  a  laugh.  Jimmy's  tone  was  not  to 
be  mistaken.  He  had  had  a  taste  of  Jimmy's  deter 
mination  on  several  occasions.  "  What's  the  mat 
ter,  anyhow  ?  "  he  asked.  "  If  you're  sore  about 
that  Conroy  business  you're  wastin'  your  time. 
Why,  th'  thing  's  happened  lots  a  times  b'fore  this, 
and  it  '11  blow  over  this  time — as  usual.  Only  Con 
roy  '11  know  better  than  t'  sell  me  out  again,  if  he 
gets  th'  chance." 

"  It  ain't  about  Conroy  that  I'm  worryin' ;  it's  th' 
whole  business." 

",  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Bulldozin'  men !  Usin'  fists,  or  clubs,  or  some- 
trim'  worse  to  make  men  do  what  you  want !  I  tell 
you,  that  sort  of  thing  is  played  out.  Can't  you  see 
it?  If  you  can't,  I  can.  What's  more,  I'm  not 
goin'  to  run  my  head  into  a  hornet's  nest." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  105 

"  Well,  what  're  you  goin'  to  do  about  it  ?  "  de 
manded  Brady  with  sarcastic  emphasis.  Jimmy's 
voice  had  held  a  threat,  and  Brady  had  a  temper. 

The 'taunt  made  Jimmy's  cheeks  flush,  but  he  re 
plied  coolly,  "  I'm  goin'  to  quit  this  sluggin'  game 
— and  so  are  you !  " 

His  mandatory  tone  first  surprised,  then  an 
gered  Brady.  "  Oh,  I  am,  am  I  ?  "  he  said.  "  Well, 
I  guess  not.  I  ain't  come  this  far  without  knowin' 
what  I'm  goin'  to  do  th'  rest  of  th'  way.  And  you  're 
makin'  a  fool  of  yourself." 

"  Maybe,"  said  Jimmy  quietly.  "  Maybe."  There 
was  a  little  pause.  Then,  from  Jimmy :  "  But  I 
don't  want  to  go  on  makin'  a  fool  of  myself,  and  I 
don't  want  you  to,  neither." 

"Who  says  I'm  makin'  a  fool  of  myself?"  de 
manded  Brady. 

"  I  do !  "  returned  Jimmy,  looking  him  squarely  in 
the  eyes. 

"  You  lie !  "  sprang  from  Brady's  lips,  and  he  rose 
from  his  chair. 

Jimmy's  mouth  tightened  and  there  was  a  flash 
from  his  eyes.  Then,  he  replied  in  a  level  voice, 
"  We  '11  let  that  pass  for  th'  present.  You  are  makin' 
a  fool  of  yourself,  and,  in  five  years,  you  '11  know  it. 
You  can't  club  people  into  doin'  your  way  always, 
and,  th'  first  thing,  you'll  slip  up,  there  '11  be  a  row, 
and  somebody  '11  go  to  jail.  Even  if  that  don't 
happen  you  '11  lose  your  grip,  if  you  keep  on  doin' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  106 

what  you've  been  doin'.  Th'  fellow  that  licks  in  th' 
prize  ring  ain't  th'  one  with  th'  biggest  fists,  but  th' 
one  that  knows  how  to  use  'em  best.  Someone  '11 
come  along  and  teach  you  that  soon,  if  you  don't 
take  warnin',  and  look  ahead." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  'em  try  it,"  said  Brady  boastfully, 
though  a  little  weakened  by  Jimmy's  home  truths. 
Then  he  remembered  that  Jimmy  had  touched  on 
this  subject  before  and  always  had  dropped  it  when 
he  (Brady)  grew  impatient.  "  Say,  I've  heard  all 
that,"  he  remarked.  "  And  I  know  what  I'm  about, 
sonny.  You  can't  make  me  think  different ;  so  you'd 
better  save  your  time  and  tongue."  He  meant  this 
to  be  conciliatory,  for  he  liked  Jimmy  and  had  a 
good  deal  of  respect  for  most  of  his  opinions ;  but  he 
also  made  it  plain  that  he  was  not  going  to  yield. 

Jimmy  had  been  studying  Brady's  face  closely; 
he  seemed  loath  to  speak  what  was  in  his  mind.  But, 
presently,  he  got  to  his  feet.  "  All  right,  Brady," 
he  said,  and  his  voice  held  more  of  sorrow  than  re 
proach.  "  I  suppose  you  know  what  you're  doin'. 
I'm  sure  I  know  what  I'm  goin'  to  do.  I  don't  think 
your  way,  and  so  I'm  goin' — to  get  out !  " 

"  Get  out?     What  do  you  mean?  "  said  Brady. 

"I'm  goin'  to  get  out — leave  you !  " 

"Goin'  to  leave  me?  Get  out  of  politics?" 
Brady's  amazement  was  overwhelming. 

"  I'm  goin'  to  leave  you;  but  I'm  not  goin'  out  of 
politics,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  Not  much,  I  ain't 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  107 

goin'  out  of  politics.  You  and  I  can't  travel  to 
gether  any  longer,  that's  all." 

Brady  was  scornful  at  such  presumption.  He 
threw  back  his  head  and  laughed.  "  Why! — why! 
you're  nuthin'  but  a  kid!"  he  cried.  "And  you 
talk  of  goin'  it  alone !  " 

"  That's  what  I  mean  to  do,"  returned  Jimmy 
firmly. 

Suddenly  Brady's  surprise  flamed  into  renewed 
anger.  "  Get  out,  then !  "  he  shouted.  "  Get  out, 
and  to  hell  with  you !  " 

"  No, — just  'round  th'  corner,"  corrected  Jimmy. 
There  was  a  thin  smile  on  his  lips.  "  What's  th'  use 
of  havin'  hard  words  between  us  ?  "  he  went  on,  after 
an  instant.  "  You've  done  a  lot  for  me,  and  I  won't 
forget  it."  He  held  out  his  hand. 

Brady  in  the  blaze  of  his  anger,  struck  at  it. 
Jimmy  stepped  back.  "  But  I  will  forget  that,"  he 
said,  "  for  you  don't  mean  it."  He  walked  to  the 
door,  said  "  Good  night,"  and  went  out. 

The  thing  had  come  upon  Brady  so  unexpectedly 
and  was  over  so  quickly  that  it  left  him  stunned. 


But  Jimmy  wasn't  stunned.  From  Brady  he  went 
straightway  to  Showell,  his  fingers  tingling,  some 
strange  feeling  making  him  want  to  shout  and  tell 
everyone  that  he  no  longer  had  a  boss.  He  was 
ashamed  of  the  feeling,  but  it  would  not  be  ban- 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  108 

ished.  So,  when  he  had  climbed  the  steps  to  Show- 
ell's  room,  he  flung  open  the  door  and  walked  in,  his 
face  beaming. 

The  gas  was  flaring,  the  room  filled  with  tobacco 
smoke.  In  one  chair  lounged  Showell  with  broad, 
good-humored  face,  his  coat  off,  collar  wilted,  legs 
on  a  table. 

Opposite  to  him  sat  a  tall,  slender  man,  a  few 
years  older  than  Jimmy,  with  keen  gray  eyes,  aqui 
line  nose,  and  a  hard  mouth.  There  was  a  nicety  in 
his  dress  and  bearing  which  Jimmy  knew  was  culti 
vated  quite  as  much  for  their  effect  on  others  as  to 
satisfy  his  own  tastes.  For  Ed  Walsh,  leader  of  the 
Twenty-first  " — a  ward  of  "  gentlemen  "  voters — 
was  conceded  to  be  the  shrewdest  of  the  younger 
ward  politicians — too  shrewd  to  keep  company  with 
the  reformers  among  whom  he  had  learned  the  pri 
mary  lessons  in  politics.  He  was  spoken  of  as  a 
coming  man  among  the  "  regulars."  To-night 
Walsh  was  in  Showell's  room,  by  appointment,  to 
meet  Jimmy.  These  two — Walsh  and  Jimmy — had 
matched  wits  more  than  once ;  they  had  a  wholesome 
respect  for  each  other.  Jimmy  had  hinted  of  his 
intentions  to  Walsh ;  Walsh  had  seen  fit  to  nod  his 
head.  To-night  he  was  to  tell  Jimmy  how  far  the 
latter  might  rely  upon  him  when  he  broke  with 
Brady.  For  neither  Showell  nor  Walsh  knew  that 
the  split  already  had  taken  place. 

But  Jimmy  left  them  not  long  in  ignorance.     He 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  109 

sat  down,  and,  calmed  by  Walsh's  cold  eyes,  related 
what  had  passed  between  Brady  and  himself.  "  And 
I  left  him  sittin'  there,  lookin'  as  if  th'  ceilin'  had 
dropped  in  on  him,"  he  finished,  and  came  to  a  full 
stop. 

"  And  now  ?  "  said  Walsh  interrogatively,  after  a 
little  wait. 

Jimmy's  eyes  inquired  of  Showell  how  far  Walsh 
already  had  committed  himself,  and  got  an  answer. 
"  And  now,"  he  replied :  "  I'm  waitin'  to  hear  what 
you  're  goin'  to  do." 

"  Me,"  rejoined  Walsh.  "  I've  got  to  hear  your 
plans  first." 

"  I've  told  you  I  mean  to  strike  out  for  myself." 

"  Yes,  but  that  isn't  it.  How  are  you  going  about 
it  ?  What  are  you  after  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  want  to  know  all  that,"  remarked 
Jimmy,  and  his  lips  twitched.  Then  he  went  on, 
"  Walsh,  you  remind  me  of  a  story  I  heard  th'  other 
day.  There  was  an  old  darkey  got  religion  th'  worst 
kind,  and  he  went  to  his  parson,  and  told  him  he  was 
sufferin'  from  a  sin  he  come  mighty  near  committin' 
th'  night  before.  '  Brudder  Smiles  he  has  a  pow'ful 
fine  melon  patch  nigh  out'  a  mile  from  my  place,'  he 
said.  '  An'  las'  night,  when  I  wuz  comin'  by,  de 
moonlight  wuz  shinin'  on  dem  melons,  an'  dey  jus' 
look  like  dey  bust,  dey  wuz  dat  big  an'  juicy.  By  an' 
by,  I  felt  my  foots  a  gettin'  heavier,  an'  't  done  jus' 
'pear  t'  me  I'd  hab  t'  sit  down  ont'  Brudder  Smiles' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  no 

fence.  When  I  sot  down  one  big  melon  wuz  that 
clost  t'  me  I  could  a  reached  down  an'  a  picked  it  up 
widout  a  ha'f  tryin'.  But  I  didn't!  I  didn't  Pa'son. 
I  didn't,  'case  I  jus'  c'uldn't.  Fur  I  seed  Brudder 
Smiles  a  snakin'  long  by  de  aidge  a  de  woods,  an' 
he  had  a  gun;  an'  som'thin'  b'gin  t'  say  t'  me — "  Jim 
Peasy ! — yo'  Jim  Peasy !  Yo'  done  know  dem  melons 
don't  b'long  t'  yo'.  Get  off  a  dat  fence,  quick  's  yo' 
kin,  an'  skin  home!  "  An'  dat's  what  I  done,  Pa'son.' 

"  '  Yo'  done  puffectly  right.  Dat  wuz  yo'  con 
science  done  tolj  yo'  dat,'  said  the  Parson.  '  But 
dey's  one  thing  yo'  ain't  done  tol'  me — is  yo'  gwine 
t'  stay  'way  f rum  dem  melons  hyaraf ter  ?  ' 

"  '  Dat's  jus'  de  trouble,  Pa'son,'  answered  th' 
old  darkey.  '  I's  'fraid  mebbe  I  can't.  De  tem'ta- 
tion  's  pow'ful  strong,  an'  I  come  by  dat  melon  patch 
mos'  ebery  night.' 

"  '  An'  is — is  Brudder  Smiles  always  a  snakin' 
'round  de  aidge  a  de  woods — wid  dat  gun  ?  '  asked 
th'  Parson. 

"  '  I  'spect  he  am,'  replied  th'  old  darkey.  '  I 
'spect  he  am,  Pa'son.' 

"  The  Parson  thought  a  minute  after  that.  Then 
he  said,  '  Look  hyar,  Brudder  Peasy !  De  tem'ta- 
tion  a  dem  melons  wuz  suttinly  de  wuk  a  de  Debbil, 
an'  yo'  done  jus'  right  t'  come  an'  tell  me.  But  yo' 
ain't  free  frum  de  sin  yet.  Yo'  got'  t'  make  a  riccom- 
pense.  I  tell  yo'  what  yo'  do.  Yo'  ask  Brudder 
Smiles  ober  t'  yo'  house  t'night,  and  treat  him  like  he 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  in 

done  mak'  yo'  a  prisint  a  all  dem  melons ;  an'  t'mor- 
row  yo'  come  an'  tell  me  how  yo'  feel.' 

"  So  th'  old  darkey  did  what  his  Parson  said,  and 
th'  next  day  he  came  to  th'  Parson,  and  th'  Parson 
asked  him  how  he  felt. 

"  '  I  done  feel  all  right,'  he  answered.  '  I  done 
do  what  yo'  tol'  me  'bout  Brudder  Smiles,  an'  't  sut- 
tinly  druv  out  de  Debbil.  But  't  done  druv  out  some- 
thin'  else,  too ;  fur  I  come  by  Brudder  Smiles'  place 
dis  mawnin',  an'  Pa'son,  't  am  de  Gospel  truf! — 
ebery  one  a  dem  melons  wuz  gone — gone  while 
Brudder  Smiles  wuz  at  my  house  las'  night.' 

"  Th'  Parson  shut  his  eyes  and  raised  his  hands. 
1  Sing  praises  fur  dat,  Brudder  Peasy ! '  he  cried. 
'  Sing  praises  t'  heben !  Mysterious  am  de  ways  a 
de  Great  Ruler!  Yo'  done  come  an'  tol'  me  ebery- 
ting,  an'  de  Lawd — de  Lawd  he  take  his  own  way  a 
r'movin'  de  tem'tation ! ' 

Showell  shouted,  and  slapped  his  thigh.  It  was 
a  new  story  to  him. 

Jimmy  was  looking  straight  into  Walsh's  face. 
"  Brother  Peasy  ain't  in  my  line,  even  if  th'  Parson 
is  in  yours,"  he  said  quietly. 

Walsh  smiled.  "  All  right,"  he  said.  "  I  under 
stand.  We'll  call  it  square.  I'm  ready  with  my  an 
swer;  I  wouldn't  be  here  to-night  if  I  wasn't.  I'll 
join  Showell,  and — back  you  up." 

"  Is  that  honest?  "  said  Jimmy.  His  glance  bored 
Walsh  through. 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  112 

"  It  is,"  replied  Walsh,  and  Jimmy  took  his  hand. 
"  And  now  '  Brother  Peasy,'  perhaps,  you'll  speak 
out,"  Walsh  added. 

Showell,  beginning  to  understand  that  he  had 
heard  a  parable,  laughed  harder  than  ever.  He  ral 
lied  Walsh  on  his  rebuff.  Jimmy,  as  soon  as  there 
was  opportunity,  began  to  tell  such  of  his  plans  as 
he  was  ready  to  tell;  and,  as  these  were  unfolded, 
Walsh's  admiration  of  him  grew. 

When  Jimmy  left  Walsh  and  Showell  that  night 
he  had  their  promised  cooperation  in  his  campaign. 
Their  support  was  to  be  a  secret  at  first;  when  he 
had  got  a  foothold  they  were  to  declare  themselves. 


It  was  all  around  ward  political  circles  within  a 
day  or  so — Jimmy  had  left  the  "  Old  Man."  It  was 
significant  of  the  way  in  which  Jimmy  already  was 
taken  that  no  one  accepted  the  version  which  Brady 
gave  of  the  parting.  "  I  fired  him  because  he  wuz 
gettin'  too  lippy,"  he  declared. 

Jimmy's  explanation  was  comprehensive.  "  We 
couldn't  get  along  together,  so  we  shook  each  other," 
he  stated.  Beyond  this  he  would  say  nothing.  But, 
straightway,  he  went  to  work  to  prove  that  he  was 
right  and  Brady  wrong  in  the  issue. 

Jimmy  knew  what  he  was  about,  and  on  whom  he 
could  depend.  In  the  week  previous  he  had  seen  a 
score  or  more  of  the  most  important  of  the  malcon- 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  113 

tents  among  Brady's  following;  and,  on  the  day  af 
ter  he  left  Brady,  he  called  these  men  and  a  few 
others  together. 

"  Everybody  here  thinks  he  knows  more  than 
Brady  does,"  he  began,  addressing  them.  "  That's 
one  of  th'  reasons  you  came  to  this  meetin'.  Th' 
question  is :  Are  you  able  to  show  him  that  you 
know  better,  if  you  get  th'  chance?"  He  stopped; 
and  muttered  affirmatives  and  jeers  at  Brady  came 
from  the  room. 

Jimmy's  eyes  lighted.  "  Yes,"  he  said ;  "  you  can 
talk  big  here;  but  how  about  makin'  good  your 
words?  That's  another  thing.  And,  yet,  I  think 
you  can  do  it.  But  you've  got  to  take  your  medicine 
first.  For  it  won't  be  easy  sailin'.  He'll  lick  us  at  th' 
polls  like  th'  devil  for  a  while — there's  no  gettin' 
away  from  that.  He's  got  it  in  for  us.  What  we 
want  to  do  is  to  keep  pluggin'  away,  and  not  lose  a 
trick.  We'll  stand  in  with  him  at  first  when  he  gives 
us  what  we  want,  and  when  he  doesn't,  we'll  help 
th'  other  side,  and  make  him  wish  we  hadn't.  But 
we've  got  to  stick  together  or  he'll  make  us  look  like 
a  lot  of  reformers  after  an  election.  And  to  stick 
together  we've  got  to  have  some  one  to  stick  to. 
Now,  how  do  you  think  I'd  do  for  that  job?  " 

He  paused  and  looked  round.  There  was  a  gen 
eral  laugh.  "Like  beeswax!"  called  one;  and 
Jimmy  bowed. 

"  All  right,"  he  resumed.     "  I  see  you're  goin'  to 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  114 

try  and  force  th'  thing  on  me.  So,  just  to  show  you 
how  easy  I  am — sometimes — I'm  goin'  to  accept  it." 

There  he  halted  as  if  to  draw  on  all  of  his  forces. 
The  smile  disappeared  from  his  countenance,  and  he 
took  one  short  step  forward  as  he  added  in  a  low, 
strong  voice :  "  But  don't  you  fool  yourself  that  I 
don't  know  what  my  business  is !  If  anybody  does 
that  and  tries  to  get  th'  best  of  me,  he'll  find  he's  run 
up  against  something  that'll  hurt  him.  There  ain't 
goin'  to  be  but  one  boss  at  th'  head  of  this  crowd — 
as  long  as  I  stay  in  it.  You  want  to  remember  that ! 
When  somebody  thinks  he  ought  to  help  run  things 
— somebody  '11  get  fired — and  it  won't  be  me.  I'm 
boss  from  start  to  finish !  " 

Jimmy  was  standing  at  his  full  height,  his  head 
a  little  thrust  forward  so  that  some  of  those  who 
looked  on  wondered  how  it  was  that  they  had  never 
noticed  before  what  an  ugly,  determined  mouth  and 
chin  he  had.  But  his  address  struck  home;  uncon 
sciously  they  acknowledged  him  as  their  master.  And 
Jimmy  knew  that  they  did.  Jimmy  had  an  abound 
ing  confidence  in  himself  always. 

But  there  were  disheartening  times  in  store  for 
those  who  followed  him.  Only  his  stubborn  will 
and  cheering  words  carried  his  men  with  him  during 
the  next  year.  Brady  chuckled  to  himself,  when, 
at  the  first  of  the  elections  ensuing,  Jimmy's  faction 
got  practically  no  recognition.  In  the  next  fight  they 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  115 

were  fairly  smothered  and  Brady  ha.d  great  sport 
with  those  who  had  warned  him  to  be  careful.  But 
Brady  on  this  account  was  little  the  less  troubled  se 
cretly  by  the  fact  that,  in  the  face  of  defeat  and, 
again  when  overthrown,  Jimmy's  people  stuck  by 
him,  and  Jimmy  remained  resolute  and  energetic.  In 
deed,  Jimmy  made  no  complaint  to  anyone.  He  wore 
a  grim  smile  when  chaffed  and  his  courage  was  un 
flagging.  He  fairly  lifted  his  men  from  spells  of 
despondency  by  his  buoyancy  and  abiding  faith. 

The  first  important  municipal  election  showed, 
too,  that  he  had  won  his  foothold.  Brady  got  the 
votes  he  needed  to  carry  his  men  through,  but  for 
these  votes  Jimmy  got  his  price.  He  controlled  the 
votes,  and  Brady  had  to  negotiate  for  their  transfer 
ence.  The  price  he  paid  was  a  place  on  the  school 
board  of  the  Ward,  and  Jimmy  took  the  place. 
There  was  no  salary  attached  to  the  office;  but  there 
were  perquisites,  especially  in  the  matter  of  influence 
among  those  who  had  the  wish  to  fill  municipal  con 
tracts.  Nor  was  any  one  better  aware  of  this  than 
was  Brady. 

The  following  year  Jimmy's  faction  was  able  to 
make  a  still  stronger  bid  for  recognition  at  the  polls, 
and  got  it.  That  autumn  they  threatened  Brady  with 
the  loss  of  a  councilman,  and  the  threats  were  effect 
ive.  Early  in  the  following  summer  Jimmy  ad 
ministered  his  master  stroke.  It  was  a  small  thing 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  116 

in  itself;  it  was  big  in  results.  Brady  gave  him  the 
opening,  or  rather  Jimmy  took  advantage  of  Brady's 
neglect. 

One  morning  Jimmy  read  in  the  newspapers  that 
United  States  Senator  Corson  was  in  town.  He  sat 
for  an  hour,  thinking,  then  he  took  up  an  almanac, 
and  began  a  careful  study  of  the  ballots  cast  by  the 
Legislature  of  his  state  in  recent  elections  for  a 
United  States  Senator.  The  forenoon  he  filled  in  by 
reading  the  editorial  comment  on  a  certain  phase  of 
politics  and  the  news  despatches  from  various  points 
of  the  State,  but  particularly  those  from  the  State 
•Capital.  During  the  afternoon  he  was  unusually 
busy  among  the  men  in  his  ward.  At  six  o'clock 
that  evening  these  men  met  him,  and  an  hour's  de 
bate  ensued.  At  eight  o'clock  Jimmy,  attired  in  his 
best  clothes,  sent  up  his  card  in  a  sealed  envelope  to 
Senator  Corson's  room  in  one  of  the  hotels.  On  the 
card  he  had  pencilled,  "  In  regard  to  the  next  election 
for  a  United  States  Senator  in  this  State.  From  the 
Tenth  District." 

In  five  minutes  came  a  message  that  the  Senator 
would  see  him  in  a  short  time.  Half  an  hour  later 
he  was  asked  to  come  up.  He  entered  the  Sena 
tor's  room  with  a  trepidation  to  which  his  face  and 
manner  gave  the  lie  direct.  He  ran  a  glance  around 
the  room  as  he  stepped  in,  and  was  relieved  to  find 
the  Senator  alone.  It  was  not  the  first  time  that 
he  had  seen  the  Senator,  but  it  was  the  first  time 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  117 

he  had  met  him.  The  latter  stood  by  a  table,  Jimmy's 
card  in  his  hand. 

Senator  Corson  was  of  middle  height  and  sparely 
built.  He  dressed  carelessly  and  held  himself  rather 
awkwardly.  His  head  seemed  to  be  set  close  to  his 
shoulders,  his  thick  hair,  parted  on  one  side,  un 
covered  a  high  forehead.  The  skin  beginning  to 
bag  under  his  eyes,  the  deep  lines  on  either  side  of 
his  nose  gave  an  appearance  of  premature  age  to  his 
countenance.  But  his  eyes — when  they  could  be  seen 
fairly — belied  the  first  impression  of  sleepiness.  They 
were  large  and  prominent;  a  cast  in  one  of  them 
lent  a  sinister  aspect  to  the  face  which  a  stubby 
mustache,  drooping  at  the  corners,  accentuated.  He 
seemed  to  be  perpetually  sneering  under  cover.  He 
raised  his  eyelids  with  effort  as  he  lifted  his  head  and 
said  in  a  piping  voice,  "  Mr.  Devlin,  what  can  I  do 
for  you  ?  " 

"  You  can  let  me  turn  in  th'  Tenth  Legislative 
District  for  you." 

The  Senator's  eyelids  dropped.  "  I'm  sorry,"  he 
said;  "  but  I  must  ask  you  to  tell  me  who  you  are." 

"J.  Devlin— of  th'  Twelfth  Ward.  I  am  Bill 
Brady's  opponent  there.  I  left  him  more'n  a  year 
ago.  I  can  carry  th'  District  for  a  Representative  to 
the  Legislature  that  will  stand  by  you  in  th'  next 
Senatorial  election." 

"  How  do  you  know  you  can?  " 

"  Th'  District  is  going  to  be  badly  split  on  th' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  118 

election  of  a  Representative  to  the  Legislature.  I've 
got  just  enough  men  to  throw  it  your  way." 

"  That  District  has  always  gone  against  me.  It 
has  been  hard  and  fast  for  Barnes's  man.  I  see  no 
chance  of  a  change." 

"  I  can  prove  to  you  that  there's  a  good  chance — 
this  time,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  If  you'll  let  me,  I'll 
show  you  right  now." 

The  Senator  drew  up  a  chair;  he  was  taking 
Jimmy's  measure — unobserved,  as  he  thought.  They 
sat  down.  Then  Jimmy  began  to  reel  off  facts  and 
figures.  He  had  the  thing  down  pat;  he  told  the 
Senator  some  things  of  which  the  latter  was  not 
aware,  though  no  one  would  have  suspected  that. 
The  Senator  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  presently,  and 
put  his  finger-tips  together.  "  Now,  what  makes 
you  think  I  need  you?  "  he  asked  sharply. 

Jimmy  looked  the  other  in  the  face,  unwinking. 
"  Because,"  he  said  boldly;  "  you'll  need  every  vote 
you  can  get  to  go  back  to  Washington  next  term." 

The  Senator's  mustache  lifted  at  one  corner.  He 
was  silent  for  a  little  while.  Then  he  remarked  drily, 
"  You've  got  plenty  of  assurance  to  say  that  to  my 
face." 

"  It  is  th'  truth.  Your  last  election  was  won  by 
two  votes — th'  election  before  that  by  four — th'  elec 
tion  before  that  by  six.  This  time  it  ought  to  be — by 
th'  same  count — lost  for  th'  lack  of  a  vote." 

"  Politics  are  not  mathematics." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  119 

"  Aren't  they  more  uncertain  ?  Besides — well,  you 
know  th'  opposition  to  you  this  time.  Is  it  any 
weaker  than  it  was?  " 

This  time  the  Senator's  mustache  did  not  twitch, 
his  eyes  were  hidden.  He  sat  unresponsive;  to  all 
appearances,  unmoved.  But  abruptly  he  asked, 
"  What  would  the  Representative  from  the  Tenth 
District  want  ?  " 

"  I  want  your  influence  and  good  word  in  my 
fight." 

"In  the  Twelfth  Ward?" 

"  In  th'  Twelfth  Ward — just  now ;  later  wherever 
else  I  may  be  fightin' — as  long  as  I'm  wanted  by 
you." 

"Brady ,"  began  the  Senator,  and  paused. 

"  Is  already  pledged  for  Barnes — to  th'  City  ad 
ministration — against  you."  Jimmy  understood  that 
he  stated  a  fact  well  known  to  the  other,  but  that 
did  not  invalidate  it. 

"  You  believe  that  you  can  defeat  Brady  on  this 
issue?" 

"  I  know  I  can." 

The  Senator  got  up  and  walked  the  length  of  the 
room.  He  jammed  his  hands  into  his  trouser  pockets. 
He  stared  out  of  the  window  at  the  twinkling 
lights  of  the  houses.  He  walked  back  to  his  old 
position.  At  the  table  he  came  to  a  sudden  halt. 
"  I'll  think  it  over,"  he  said.  "  I'll  let  you  know  in  a 
week." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  120 

"  There's  no  time  to  be  lost,"  returned  Jimmy. 
He  rose  and  picked  up  his  hat.  "  As  for  Brady,"  he 
continued ;  "  he  stands  ready  to  recognize  me  in  this 
fight — if  I'll  do  as  he  thinks  I'm  going  to  do.  But 
Barnes — well,  I'd  rather  not  vote  for  Barnes.  I'll 
give  him  my  answer,  though,  one  way  or  th'  other  a 
week  from  to-day." 

"  Good  night,"  said  the  Senator  coldly.  But  his 
eyelids  lifted  a  trifle  and  a  flash  of  light  seemed  to 
spring  from  beneath  them. 

"  Good  night,"  Jimmy  replied,  and  he  walked  out 
of  the  room. 

Corson  went  back  to  Washington  at  the  ensuing 
election  for  a  United  States  Senator.  But  it  was 
what  has  been  called  "  a  verra  close  shave."  And, 
incidentally,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  name  of  the 
Representative  to  the  State  Legislature  from  the 
Tenth  District  did  not  appear  in  the  Barnes'  column 
in  that  election.  Brady  raged  thereat;  Jimmy  pre 
served  a  discreet  silence. 

But  that  winter,  when  they  spoke  of  the  Twelfth 
Ward  it  was :  "  What  do  Brady  and  Jimmy  say?  " 
Moreover,  what  Jimmy  said  Brady  often  agreed  to ; 
not  because  it  was  to  his  liking,  but  because  he  had 
more  at  stake,  at  this  time,  than  had  Jimmy,  and  be 
cause  Jimmy  held  the  balance  of  powrer  in  the  Ward 
between  Brady  and  the  minority  party. 

Marcus  Doran  had  heard  with  delight  of  the  sepa 
ration  of  Jimmy  and  Brady.  To  him  it  was  the  be- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  121 

ginning  of  the  end  of  Jimmy's  career.  He  credited 
Jimmy  with  shrewdness  and  determination;  but 
Brady's  power  was  too  well  established,  he  believed, 
to  be  impaired  by  anything  that  Jimmy  might  do. 
He  took  pains  to  let  Kate  know  of  Jimmy's  separa 
tion  from  Brady  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  it. 

"  He's  overreached  himself  this  time !  "  he  de 
clared.  "  Brady  '11  smash  him,  and  I'm  glad  of  it. 
He's  gettin'  too  big-headed." 

Kate  did  not  know  a  great  deal  of  politics,  but  she 
did  know  Jimmy.  She  smiled  and  made  no  reply. 
A  few  days  later  she  saw  Jimmy. 

"  Jimmy,  Jimmy,"  she  said.  "  Why  didn't  you 
tell  me  you  were  in  such  a  bad  way?  " 

"Bad  way?"  answered  Jimmy.  "  Who  said  I 
was  in  a  bad  way?  " 

"  Why, — -haven't  you  broken  off  from  Mr. 
Brady  ?  "  asked  Kate  in  mock  surprise. 

"  Yes, — but — "  began  Jimmy,  a  little  scornful. 
Then  he  read  the  truth  on  her  twitching  lips,  and  was 
nettled  for  a  moment.  Kate  always  was  making  a 
fool  of  him.  "It  is  hard  luck,"  he  began  again. 
"  But,  I  guess,  I'll  pull  through.  Maybe,  Brady  '11 
forgive  me,  and  lend  me  a  helpin'  hand — when  he 
sees  how  miserable  I  am." 

"  Maybe  he  will,"  agreed  Kate  in  the  same 
strain. 

But  Jimmy,  looking  into  her  face,  detected  beneath 
this  banter  a  firm  faith  in  him  and  his  plans.  It  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  122 

as  a  clear  light  to  him.  It  dissolved  his  own  mask 
of  playful  uncertainty.  All  at  once,  his  eyes  flashed. 
He  threw  back  his  head. 

"  Kate/'  he  said.  "  Brady,  or  no  one  like  him 
shall  stop  me!  My  place  is  up — on  top!  That's 
where  I'm  going !  " 


BOOK 
•TWO- 


CHAPTER  VI  125 

ON  one  of  the  down  town  streets  in  Jimmy's 
city,  crowded  between  a  tobacco  store  and 
a  row  of  offices  of  second-rate  lawyers, 
stood  a  two-story  brick  building  with  dingy  front, 
dusty  window  panes  and  deeply  worn  steps.  A 
narrow  hallway  gave  entrance  to  the  two  rooms  on 
the  ground  floor. 

The  first  door  opened  into  a  bare  apartment  of 
moderate  size,  furnished  with  a  couple  O'f  benches, 
a  few  chairs,  a  multitude  of  spittoons,  and  many  po 
litical  posters  on  the  walls.  This  was  Jimmy's  wait 
ing  room.  It  communicated,  at  the  back,  with  a 
smaller  room,  overlooking  a  brick-paved  court,  and 
supplied  with  a  flat-topped  desk,  half  a  dozen 
straight-backed  chairs,  a  safe  in  one  corner,  and  a 
clinging  atmosphere  of  stale  tobacco  smoke.  This 
was  Jimmy's  office.  "  Back  "  it  was  called  by  the 
fraternity  to  whom  it  was  most  familiar. 

"  Back  "  was  the  place  of  business  more  or  less 
directly  affecting  the  welfare  of  a  half  million  people. 

It  was  now  fifteen  years  since  Jimmy  made  that 
onward  and  upward  boast  to  Kate ;  and  Jimmy  stood 
as  flesh  and  blood  proof  of  its  undertaking  and  con- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  126 

tinned  achievement.  To-day,  he  was  one  of  three 
men  who  shaped  the  course  of  the  dominant  political 
party  of  the  city.  To-morrow,  it  was  whispered,  the 
other  two  of  these  men  must  bow  to  Jimmy,  or  be 
broken.  Yet,  for  all  these  whispers  of  the  wise,  the 
"  Three  Czars,"  as  they  were  called,  worked  shoulder 
to  shoulder,  and,  when  the  name  of  Jimmy  was  in  the 
air,  the  names  of  Sam  Showell  and  Ed  Walsh  were 
on  the  tongue.  The  triumvirate  was  supreme. 
Showell  bribed  or  bullied  the  voters  who  had  small 
brains  and  big  fists;  Walsh  cajoled  or  convinced 
those  whose  hands  were  soft  and  who  lived  in  fine 
houses ;  Jimmy  steered  a  middle  course,  and  made  the 
control  of  the  primary  elections  of  the  party  his  per 
sonal  effort.  This  he  did  largely  through  the  medium 
of  the  Water  Trust,  which,  now  a  thing  of  the  past, 
was  once  a  monument  of  all  that  high-minded  citi 
zens  execrated. 

The  Water  Trust  was,  nominally,  a  body  of  ten 
men  whose  duty  it  was  to  manage  the  Water  Works 
of  the  city.  But,  by  easy  stages,  it  had  become  the 
Board  of  Management  of  an  "  Asylum  for  the  In 
curably  Idle  "  among  those  with  a  political  "  pull." 
When  Jimmy  awoke  to  the  possibilities  of  this  es 
tablishment  he  had  himself  elected  a  Water  Trustee 
by  City  Councils,  and,  in  time  converted  the  clerical 
and  artisan  forces  of  the  WTater  Works  into  a 
"  Bureau  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Political  Views 
of  J.  Devlin."  Through  the  fifteen  hundred  em- 


J,    DEVLIN— BOSS  127 

ployes  his  will  was  worked  at  the  party  polls.  The 
threads  by  which  these  marionettes  were  made  to 
move  converged  from  all  points  of  the  compass  to  a 
common  center.  "  Back,"  where  Jimmy  was  now 
sitting,  the  ends  of  the  threads  came  together  under 
Jimmy's  hand. 

It  was  a  plump  hand  that  rested  on  them — a  hand 
that  lacked  distinction  until  it  was  in  action.  Then, 
its  fingers  opened  or  closed  with  a  quickness  and 
force  that  made  the  marionettes  dance.  A  stranger's 
first  comment  on  seeing  Jimmy  was,  "  Built  for 
work  " ;  a  prompt  addition  to  this  opinion :  "  And 
to  make  others  work." 

There  was  decision  in  Jimmy's  every  movement; 
persuasion  or  command  in  every  tone  of  his  voice  or 
expression  of  his  face.  No  taller  than  he  was  at 
nineteen  and  plain  of  feature,  the  years  had  been  his 
confederates.  His  face  was  the  obedient  servant 
it  had  always  been.  The  little  darts  at  the  corners  of 
his  bright  blue  eyes,  the  lines  that  played  about  his 
flexible  mouth  one  moment  would  be  drawn  in  an 
expression  of  serious  reflection;  the  next,  perhaps, 
vanish  in  the  vacancy  of  innocence  or  wonderment, 
and,  the  next,  twitch  with  the  appeal  of  some 
passing  thought.  The  dash  of  gray  at  his  temples, 
the  stouter  body  and  the  chin  which  now  boldly  pro 
claimed  itself  would  have  misled  no  one  who  had 
known  the  Jimmy  of  years  gone-by.  Even  the  sober 
gray  suit,  the  "  choker  "  collar,  black  bow  tie  and  ex- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  128 

panse  of  spotless  shirt  front,  which  Jimmy  wore  as 
if  they  were  the  parts  of  a  uniform,  would  only  have 
convinced  such  an  acquaintance  that  Jimmy  was  as 
careful  of  his  personal  appearance  as  ever. 

Of  very  different  make  and  dress  was  the  man 
who  sat  opposite  Jimmy  in  this  little  back  room. 
Tall,  big  and  good  looking,  with  dark  hair,  swarthy 
complexion  and  a  selfish  mouth,  Marcus  Doran,  at 
forty  years  of  age  advertised  in  feature  and  figure 
the  qualities  which  one  had  been  left  to  guess  at 
when  he  was  twenty.  His  clothes  sat  well  on  his 
large  frame,  but  made  their  color  and  pattern  felt  at 
long  range. 

Now,  tilted  back  in  his  chair,  one  leg  thrown  over 
the  other,  his  fingers  in  the  armholes  of  his  vest,  he 
talked  to  Jimmy  in  a  voice  that  was  meant  to  be 
confidential. 

:<  You  see,  it's  this  way,"  he  said.  "  If  I  get  that 
contract  I'm  dead  certain  to  fall  in  for  a  lot  more  of 
th'  same  sort  of  business.  It  '11  be  a  cinch,  if  I  get 
it ; — and — I  know  you  can  give  it  to  me." 

"  I  can,  but  I  won't,"  replied  Jimmy  decisively. 
"  I've  told  you  why." 

"  Oh,  come !  "  Marcus's  face  assumed  an  expres 
sion  of  understanding.  "  I  know  how  that  is.  But, 
— well,  Walsh's  man  can  do  with  another  contract; 
and  this  one  is  yours  to  give.  Come!  let  me  have 
it.  Won't  you, — this  time?  " 

Jimmy  was  unrelenting.     "  This  time?"  he  re- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  129 

peated.  "  Why,  you've  said  those  same  words  to  me 
till  I'm  tired  of  hearin'  'em.  They  don't  mean  any 
thing." 

Marcus  looked  hurt.  "  This  time  they  do/'  he 
remonstrated. 

"  No,  not  this  time,  either,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  It's 
always  th'  same  thing.  It's  Jimmy  this  and  Jimmy 
that,  and  never  lift  a  finger  for  yourself.  For  ten 
years  or  more  you've  come  to  me  for  everything 
you  wanted.  You've  been  given  good  contracts  in 
plenty  and  lots  of  other  things  besides.  You've  made 
money.  But  where  does  th'  money  go  ?  How  does 
Mrs.  Doran  live  and  keep  that  boy  of  hers  in  clothes  ? 
God  knows !  What  you  don't  drink  up,  you  blow  in 
on  speculation.  What  you  don't  lose  that  way,  I'll 
bet,  goes  in  gambling." 

Suddenly,  Jimmy  brought  his  fist  down  on  the 
table  with  a  bang.  "  And  it  stops  right  here,  as  far 
as  I  go !  "  he  finished.  "  You're  not  a  foot  ahead  of 
where  you  were  when  we  were  boys."  He  glared  at 
Marcus  with  honest  wrath.  It  was  a  long  speech 
for  Jimmy,  and,  what  was  still  more  rare,  it  was  a 
moral  lecture. 

Marcus  looked  all  the  surprise  and  disappointment 
that  he  felt.  A  nasty  gleam  flashed  into  his  face  and 
was  gone.  He  leaned  forward  with  an  appearance 
of  impulse  that  was  well  done.  "  That's  just  it," 
he  said.  "  It's  because  of  Kate  that  I  specially  want 
that  contract.  I'm  ashamed  of  her — of  th'  way  she 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  130 

has  to  go  round.  Whatever  I've  done,  I  mean  to  do 
better  now.  Give  me  this  contract,  and  see  if  I 
don't?" 

Jimmy's  lips  were  pressed  together  yet  something 
jerked  at  their  corners.  "  I've  given  you  my  an 
swer,"  he  said  shortly.  "  That's  all."  He  hitched 
himself  forward  in  his  chair,  and  picked  up  a  letter. 

Marcus  sat  motionless.  The  fact  that  Jimmy  had 
refused  him  point-blank  and  had  no  intention  of  talk 
ing  more  was  slowly  sinking  into  his  mind.  It  was 
hard  to  believe  this  after  a  dozen  years  of  almost 
continuous  assistance.  Moreover,  he  had  counted 
confidently  on  that  allusion  to  Kate's  distress 
to  soften  unlocked  for  harshness.  But — Jimmy  was 
deep  in  his  letter.  The  interview  was  at  an  end. 
Marcus  was  angry  enough  to  have  said  anything,  but 
didn't  know  what  to  say.  He  got  up  slowly  and  took 
his  hat.  He  walked  to  the  doorway  and  halted. 
But  the  other  never  looked  up  from  his  letter;  with  a 
muttered  imprecation,  Marcus  flung  open  the  door, 
and  passed  into  the  waiting  room. 

As  he  passed  across  the  room  the  nearest  of  a 
long  row  of  seated  men  got  up  and  went  into 
the  back  room  and  closed  the  door.  Then  Jimmy 
raised  his  eyes  and  laid  down  his  letter. 

"  How  do,  Mr.  Marshall,"  he  said  warmly. 
"  You've  come  to  see  about  that  loan  ?  Well,  I  guess 
I  can  accommodate  you.  Sit  down." 

Marshall,  a  tall,  brown-bearded  man  with  deeply 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  131 

furrowed  forehead,  sat  down.  He  was  a  merchant 
in  more  than  a  small  way,  and  Jimmy's  greeting 
made  his  heart  rejoice.  To  him  this  loan  meant 
salvation  from  threatened  bankruptcy. 

To  Jimmy  it  meant  a  profitable  investment.  The 
aptitude  for  the  management  of  finances  which  he 
had  shown  in  the  days  of  the  "  News  "  office  had  not 
been  a  talent  wasted. 

In  a  score  of  years  he  had  accumulated,  partly  by 
the  process  of  assimilation,  a  considerable  fortune; 
and  to  this  he  was  steadily  adding.  There  are  many 
ways  of  knowing  where  a  profit  may  be  reaped 
when  one  can  forecast  the  employment  of  the  city's 
millions;  there  is  a  legitimate  profit  in  having  con 
nections  with  such  industrial  concerns  as  a  municipal 
economy  utilizes;  last,  but  not  least,  there  are  al 
ways  men  whose  gratitude  for  services  rendered  in 
the  field  of  politics  takes  the  form  of  "  inside  in 
formation  "  on  the  stock  market's  eccentricities,  or, 
perhaps,  is  represented  by  stock  certificates  them 
selves.  Though  some  may  cavil  at  such  transactions, 
it  is  difficult  to  find  the  law  book  in  which  they  are 
specially  forbidden,  still  more  difficult  to  secure  the 
lawyer  who  can  prove  them  illegal  to  the  satisfac 
tion  of  an  impartial  court 

So  Jimmy,  though  he  was  less  widely  known 
as  a  man  of  money  than  as  a  man  of  votes,  had 
money  and  had  it  all  invested,  too,  where  it  would  do 
the  most  good — to  J.  Devlin.  He  was  President  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  132 

the  Union  Bank,  an  institution  he  had  taken  in 
hand  when  it  was  on  the  brink  of  ruin,  and  made 
solvent  and  trusted  by  hard  work  and  honest  busi 
ness  methods.  It  was  the  sufficient  argument  of 
those  who  recommended  the  Bank :  "  Jimmy  stands 
behind  it."  It  was  the  same  affidavit  of  worth  which 
enlisted  cooperation  in  the  real  estate  schemes  which 
he  started  and  heavily  invested  in.  But,  besides 
this,  he  always  had  funds  which  he  might  draw  upon 
for  incidental  use;  and  these  funds  made  him  many 
staunch  friends  among  those  whom  they  had  carried 
through  crises  that  otherwise  would  have  given  the 
newspapers  a  sensation.  In  politics  one  never  knows 
positively  upon  whom  one  may  have  to  lean  next, 
and  Jimmy  was  nearly  always  able  to  provide  against 
such  contingencies  so  far  as  money  was  concerned. 

Yet,  sometimes  in  that  little  back  room, 
money  was  handled  in  what  seemed  to  be  reckless 
fashion.  Things  were  done  there  without  parade  or 
waste  of  words.  It  is  an  axiom  in  politics :  "  Never 
write  what  you  can  speak ;  never  speak  what  you  can 
nod."  But  that,  perhaps,  made  what  did  take  place 
all  the  more  remarkable. 

Once  in  this  little  back  room  a  railroad  company 
convinced  Jimmy  that  "  Silence  is  golden,"  and  so 
saw  the  bill,  giving  it  the  right  to  lay  tracks  at  grade 
within  the  city,  passed  by  City  Councils.  Once  the 
Acme  Electric  Light  Company  persuaded  Jimmy 
that  the  city  ought  to  open  certain  streets  along 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  133 

which  it  might  string  wires;  and,  merely  to  assure 
him  of  its  financial  soundness,  left  $10,000  of  its 
stock  on  his  desk.  Once  a  council  of  the  Powers 
there  decided  to  raise  the  tax  valuation  of  specified 
properties  and  so  convince  the  owners  of  mistakes 
made  at  the  polls.  And  once — But  there  is  no  need 
to  multiply  instances  of  the  magnitude  and  diversity 
of  the  cases  which  Jimmy  settled  in  "  Back." 

His  was  a  place  of  final  appeal  as  well  as  of  first. 
His  was  a  bench  of  strict  impartiality,  aside  from 
the  interests  which  its  occupant  represented.  All 
grades  and  kinds  of  men,  consciously  or  otherwise, 
came  within  the  scope  of  his  judgments  at  one  time 
or  another,  and  felt  their  weight.  Above  the  doors 
of  the  Water  Works  a  satirist  had  said  there  should 
be  written : 

"  Abandon  want  all  ye  who  enter  here ! " 

Above  the  portal  of  the  little  room  in  which 
Jimmy  administered  justice  might  have  been  written 
with  equal  force — so  some  contended : 

"  Here  the  wicked  bring  their  plottings, 
And  Jimmy  does  the  rest." 

Could  it  have  been  awe,  then,  which  caused  that 
august  personage,  Judge  Hallo  well,  to  come  to  a  halt 
in  his  walk  down  town,  as  he  saw  Jimmy  approach 
ing  him?  Could  it  have  been  awe  that  made  him 
turn,  and  retrace  his  steps  in  Jimmy's  company?  If 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  134 

awe  it  was,  it  soon  yielded  to  the  geniality  of 
Jimmy's  presence.  Half  a  block  passed  over,  and  the 
two  were  deep  in  conversation.  On  the  first  corner 
they  stopped.  One  of  the  Judge's  arms  was  hooked 
in  Jimmy's  and  Jimmy  was  telling  a  story.  The 
Judge,  portly,  ponderous  and  gray  headed,  a  pros 
pective  candidate  for  the  Supreme  bench,  was  shak 
ing  with  laughter. 

"  It  was  this  way,"  Jimmy  was  saying.  "  ThJ  old 
lady  was  as  bald  as  an  egg,  and  her  wig — th'  dog — 
he — "  The  narrative  came  to  a  sudden  end.  Jimmy's 
eyes  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  street. 

"  Excuse  me,  Judge;  I'll  tell  you  th'  rest  another 
time,"  he  said  hurriedly.  With  that  he  darted  across 
the  car  tracks,  and  laid  a  detaining  hand  on  a  man 
there.  He  drew  him  to  the  curb  line. 

Shock-headed,  his  broad  face  streaked  with  dirt 
and  perspiration,  his  coat  on  one  bare  arm,  a  red 
undershirt  showing  at  the  neck,  "  Sandy  "  McLain, 
one  of  the  Water  Works  "  gang,"  grasped  Jimmy's 
outstretched  hand  in  a  hairy  paw,  and  grinned. 

"Didn't  know  y'  seed  me.  Th'  Judge—!"  he 
exclaimed. 

"  How's  Mrs.  McLain  ?  "  asked  Jimmy,, 

"  Sound  as  a  dollar.  She  got  home  yest'day. 
Thet  week  at  th'  sea-shore  you  gave  her — " 

Jimmy  reddened.  He  pulled  his  hand  away 
roughly.  "  Hold  on !  That's  enough !  "  he  declared. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  135 

"  I  got  to  go."  He  clapped  the  other  on  the  shoul 
der,  wheeled  about,  and  was  gone. 

Sandy  McLain  looked  after  him,  shaking  his  head. 
"  'Twas  th'  same  way  he  acted  'bout  them  turkeys 
an'  cranberries  Christmas,"  he  muttered.  "  He's — 
he's — !  I — !  Damn  'f  I  wouldn't  jus'  do  any 
thing  fur  him !  "  he  finished,  hitching  up  his  coat, 
and  moving  on. 

There  were  a  good  many  others  who  would  have 
echoed  this  sentiment.  Ridiculous  stories  got  afloat 
as  to  the  source  of  certain  mysterious  gifts  which 
came  to  lowly  homes  about  the  time  they  were  most 
needed.  One  day  a  newspaper  reporter  charged 
Jimmy  with  doing  good  deeds  under  cover,  and  the 
latter  was  tempted  for  an  instant  to  wear  borrowed 
plumage.  Then  his  hard  heart  got  the  best  of  him, 
and  his  selfishness  spoke  in  his  reply,  "  Do  you  take 
me  for  a  fool  to  go  slinging  my  money  around  that 
way?  I  don't  work  no  charity  mill!"  Which  re 
ply,  being  duly  reported,  brought  upon  his 
head  rebukes  from  those  righteous  souls  who  sit  in 
high  places.  When  Jimmy  heard  of  these  rebukes 
he  said  nothing,  but  his  mouth  gave  a  wry  little 
twist. 

Something  of  that  same  curious  twist  was  on 
his  lips  one  evening,  two  days  after  his  interview 
with  Marcus,  as  he  stood  on  the  street  steps  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Marcus  Doran's  house,  and  regarded  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  136 

building.  For  five  months  he  had  not  been  in  it. 
Marcus's  attitude  toward  him,  his  own  regard  for 
Kate  had  made  him  resist  his  impulses.  But  the 
house  front  now  told  him  the  story  of  those  five 
months  and  of  many  more  months.  Grown  dingier 
as  Marcus  spent  more  of  his  fortuitous  earnings  on 
personal  pleasures,  it  seemed  to  explain :  "  No 
money  for  rent;  no  repairs  by  the  landlord.  Very 
glad  I'll  be  when,  in  two  weeks,  my  tenants  are 
bundled  out." 

To  Jimmy  it  may  have  whispered  other  secrets. 
At  any  rate,  the  twist  was  gone  from  his  lips,  and  a 
rare  smile  had  blossomed  on  his  face  when  he  heard 
a  step  inside,  and,  a  moment  later,  Kate  stood  in  the 
doorway. 

Tall,  slender,  graceful,  the  spirit  in  her  fine  gray 
eyes  tempered  by  something  that  matched  the  wistful 
droop  of  her  mouth,  a  white  thread  here  and  there  to 
be  spied  in  her  brown  hair  drawn  softly  back  from 
her  broad  brow,  she  yet  seemed  to  Jimmy  to  be  as 
he  always  remembered  her.  She  stood  an  instant 
peering  into  the  illy-lighted  street  before  she  saw 
who  it  was. 

Then  she  started,  her  eyes  grew  big  and  a  sob 
came  up  into  her  throat.  Afterward,  she  realized 
that  she  should  be  ashamed  of  these  weaknesses; 
but  they  were  none  the  less  real  at  the  moment,  and 
she  was  glad  just  then  that  she  had  a  hand  on  the 
open  door. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  137 

Jimmy  had  a  foot  on  the  threshold,  his  head  was 
cocked  to  one  side.  "  Hello !  Kate,"  he  said. 

To  her  it  seemed  for  an  instant  that  he  held  a 
bundle  of  newspapers  under  his  arm  and  she  the 
same,  and  that  they  had  come  upon  each  other  at  a 
street  corner.  Her  greeting  popped  out  almost  be 
fore  she  knew  what  she  was  saying.  "  Why,  hello, 
Jimmy !  "  she  answered. 

He  laughed.  "  Aren't  you  goin5  to  invite  me  in  ?  " 
he  asked. 

By  way  of  reply  she  stepped  aside,  and  he  entered. 
"  Well,"  he  remarked,  as  he  followed  her  into  the 
parlor ;  "  this  is  bully !  I've  been  turrible  busy  lately 
and  been  out  of  town  a  lot." 

She  knew  that  he  was  trying  to  explain  why  he 
had  not  been  to  see  her  for  so  long  a  time,  and  im 
mediately  she  forgot  whatever  doubts  and  disap 
pointments  she  had  had. 

"  Not  goin'  to  do  nuthin'  just  now,  are  you?  "  he 
queried,  as  he  settled  himself  in  a  chair  and  laid  his 
hat  on  the  floor. 

She  was  lighting  the  gas,  and  said,  over  her  shoul 
der,  "  No,  I  guess  I  can  spare  you  a  little  while." 

"  Is  Jack  about?  "  he  inquired. 

"  No,  but  he'll  be  in  before  long,"  she  returned. 

Then,  having  done  all  that  suggested  itself  at  the 
moment,  she  sat  down  and,  at  once  began  to  talk 
very  fast  about  the  first  things  that  came  into  her 
mind.  She  dreaded  to  approach  what  she  knew,  she 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  138 

must  refer  to,  if  he  did  not  introduce  the  subject. 
Once  this  thing  was  spoken  of  it  would  not  be  so 
hard.  They  both  knew  what  it  was,  and  still,  she  felt 
that  she  would  be  confessing  a  shameful  secret  when 
she  spoke  of  it.  Jimmy  had  never  seemed  so  close 
and  yet  so  far  off  as  now,  seated  there  opposite  to 
her,  his  plain,  little  figure  squarely  erect,  his  pose 
expressing  only  polite  attention,  and,  withal,  a  light 
in  his  eyes  which  said,  "  I  know  what  you're  really 
thinkin'  of,  and  that's  why  I  came  here  to-night." 

Yet,  he  sat  unmoved,  and  listened  with  apparent 
attention,  but  without  a  word  until,  presently,  she 
halted  for  loss  of  something  more  to  say.  Then,  he 
remarked,  quietly,  "  And,  now,  as  we  was  say  in', 
a  while  ago,  Jack's  got  to  go  to  work  right  off. 
What  kind  of  a  place  do  you  think  'd  fit  him 
best?" 

It  was  done  so  easily.  Not  a  muscle  of  Jimmy's 
face  quivered.  Indeed,  his  face  and  voice  alike 
affirmed  that  he  was  unconscious  of  having  carried 
her  and  himself  over  a  shaky  bridge.  Apparently,  he 
had*  not  even  noticed  the  moment's  pause  in  which 
she  drew  in  her  breath  sharply  and  silently  blessed 
him.  So,  next,  she  found  herself  saying,  quite  as 
if  she  was  repeating  a  statement.  "  Yes,  that's  so. 
Jack's  go — going  to  work — right  away ;  but  I  don't 
know  what  he'd  better  do." 

"  There's  a  good  many  things  he  might  do,"  said 
Jimmy.  "  But  some  one  of  them  is  better  than  others, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  139 

and  he  wants  a  good  place — one  where  he  gets  a 
fair  salary — right  off." 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Kate.  For  some  reason  she  did 
not  look  at  Jimmy. 

"  And  where  he'll  get  a  chance  to  do  better  for 
himself." 

"  Yes." 

"  But  he  hasn't  done  anything  b'fore?  " 

"  No." 

"  That,  of  course,  makes  it  harder  for  him.  Still, 
it's  no  reason  why  he  shouldn't  do  well,  if  he  gets 
a  show." 

"  Oh,  he'll  soon  get  work,"  replied  Kate,  and  she 
was  glad  to  say  that;  for  Jimmy  seemed  to  have 
taken  the  weighing  of  Jack's  chances  into  his  hands. 
"  He's  a  bright  boy,"  she  added,  "  and,  I'm  sure, 
he'll  soon  get  a  place." 

"  So  am  I,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  I  wonder  if 
you're  as  sure  as  I  am?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  Kate  returned,  looking  up 
quickly  and  catching  Jimmy  smiling.  "  How  sure 
are  you  ?  "  she  asked.  All  at  once,  it  seemed  as  if 
Jack's  chances  had  become  a  mere  matter  of  choice, 
and  that  she  had  been  foolish  to  lie  awake  for  weeks, 
as  she  had,  worrying  about  the  thing. 

"How  sure  am  I?"  repeated  Jimmy.  "Why, 
I'm  just  as  sure  as  I  am  that,  at  ten  o'clock  to-mor 
row  mornin',  a  young  man  named  Jack  Doran  is 
comin'  into  my  office,  down-town — you  know  where 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  140 

it  is — and  will  say :  '  I've  come  for  that  place  you 
promised  me,  eighteen  years  ago,  last  July — th'  night 
you  poked  your  fingers  into  my  face  and  called  me  a 
monkey,  and — nearly  got  struck  dead — by  some  one 
— for  doin'  it.'  Now,  do  you  think  I'm  sure? — 
surer  than  you  are  ?  " 

"  You  seem  pretty  sure,"  faltered  Kate,  after  a 
moment.  Her  eyes  were  misty  despite  the  smile 
upon  her  lips.  "  How — how  did  you  remember  all 
— that?"  she  asked. 

"  By  lookin'  at  you,"  said  Jimmy  promptly,  and 
showed  her  what  he  meant.  But  when  the  color 
crept  into  her  cheeks,  his  illustration  came  to  a  quick 
end.  He  began  to  laugh,  though  her  face  was  so 
serious. 

Kate  looked  sharply  at  him.  It  was  queer  that 
he  should  laugh  just  then;  it  disappointed  her  a 
little. 

And  Jimmy  knew  that  it  was  queer.  But  he  had 
to  laugh ;  it  was  the  one  way  to  hide  from  Kate  the 
ridiculous  confusion  into  which  that  look  of  hers  had 
thrown  him.  "  Do  you  know  what  made  me 
laugh?"  he  asked,  and  went  on  quickly,  "I  was 
thinkin'  of  how  you  looked  when  you  used  to  sell 
papers, — with  short  skirts  and  a  pig-tail." 

"  No  worse  than  you  did  in  short  pants  and — 
skinny  legs,"  she  flashed  back. 

"  I  wasn't  sayin'  anything  about  skinny  legs," 
remarked  Jimmy  significantly.  "  I  was  talkin'  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  141 

clothes.  Do  you  know  you  always  wear  good  lookin' 
ones  ?  You  make  'em  yourself,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Kate,  wondering  how  Jimmy  had 
guessed  that. 

"  I  thought  you  must,  b'cause  you  were  such  a 
good  sewer  when  you  worked  at  it — once  upon  a 
time,"  he  explained. 

Kate  laughed.  "  How  do  you  know  I  was?  "  she 
inquired. 

"  I — heard  it,"  said  Jimmy.  "  Say,  it  seems  to 
me,"  he  went  on,  reflectively;  "that  now  that  you 
're — you've  got  th'  time, — it  might  be  a  good  thing 
to  go  to  sewin'  again." 

"  I  thought  of  that,"  said  Kate,  and  one  would 
have  concluded  from  her  manner  that  she  had  given 
the  suggestion  only  casual  attention.  "  I've  about 
decided  to  look  around  for  some,"  she  added. 

"  Oh,  have  you?  "  remarked  Jimmy.  Then,  con 
fidently,  "  Well,  you'll  get  it.  But  you  need  to  let 
people  know  about  it.  You  ought  to  put  up  a  sign. 
There's  lots  of  good  comes  of  signs." 

"  I  guess  there  is,  replied  Kate.     "  But—" 

"Just  what  I  was  goin'  to  say,"  interrupted 
Jimmy.  "  You  need  a  special  kind  of  sign.  No 
common,  old  tin  one  with  painted  letters,  but  a  shiny 
brass  one.  A  swell  sign,  engraved — like  th'  doctors 
have.  Good  dressmakers  ought  to  have  good  signs. 
It  helps  trade — it  helps  th'  house,  too.  And,  that  re 
minds  me ; — your  landlord  likes  things  of  that  sort.'* 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  142 

"My  landlord?"  repeated  Kate,  puzzled. 

"  Yes,  he  told  me  th'  other  day  that  he'd  be  willin' 
to  drop  th'  rent  of  this  house  four  dollars  a  month, 
if  he  could  fill  up  th'  rest  of  th'  row.  He  said  he 
was  almost  sure  he  could  do  it,  if  people  got  to 
travelin'  along  this  street  more  to — to  get  their 
sewin'  done  here,  I  guess  he  meant." 

Kate  laughed.  It  was  a  clear  laugh  that  came 
from  her  heart — the  first  of  its  kind  for  a  long  time. 
"  Oh,  Jimmy !  "  she  cried.  "  Where  did  you  make 
all  that  up?" 

Jimmy's  face  said  that  its  owner  felt  deeply  in 
jured.  Kate,  looking  at  him,  laughed  again.  "  And 
the  landlord  said  that  ?  "  she  exclaimed.  Then,  her 
laughter  died  in  a  soft,  little  sigh. 

Jimmy  defended  his  veracity  with  great  warmth. 
"  It's  all  true,"  he  declared.  "  I  don't  see  how  you 
can  laugh  at  what  is  so.  And  what  I  told  you,  too ! 
I  didn't  think  you'd  do  it,  Kate.  What's  more,  I 
haven't  told  you  all.  Th'  landlord  said  he'd  paint 
th'  house  if  you'd — start  in  dressmakin' — th'  right 
way.  He  told  me  that.  As  for  th'  sign, — I — I've 
got  just  th'  one  you  want.  Took  it  off  an  old  house 
I  own.  A — a  dressmaker  left  it  behind  her.  If 
you  don't  believe  that,  I'll — bring  round  th'  sign  to 


morrow." 


Kate's  eyes  rested  on  Jimmy  with  a  look  of  such 
wonderment  and  tender  gratitude  that  his  own  chal 
lenging  glance  fell.  "  Jimmy,"  she  said  slowly. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  143 

"  Jimmy,  I  want  to  tell  you  what  I  think  of  you ; 
but — I  can't.  But  you  know — you  know, — don't 
you?" 

"  I  should  think  I  did,"  replied  Jimmy.  "  I'd  be 
a  dumb  if  I  didn't.  Ain't  you  just  told  me?  You 
said  I  didn't  tell  th'  truth, — and — you  laughed  at 
me.  Don't  see  how  I  could  make  any  mistake  about 
that.  But — well,  I'm  going  to  bring  that  sign  round 
to  you,  all  th'  same." 

"  As  stubborn  as  you  always  were,"  returned 
Kate.  There  was  something  in  her  voice  that  made 
him  glad  that  he  was  what  she  said.  He  hastened  to 
retort,  "  No  more  than  you  always  was." 

Instantly,  Jimmy  was  harking  back  to  the  days  of 
twenty-five  and  more  years  ago,  and,  presently,  he 
carried  Kate  with  him  by  recalling  to  her  the  time 
she  had  "  stood  off  "  three  boys  who  had  planned  to 
drive  her  from  her  newspaper  beat.  Soon,  she  and 
he  were  deep  in  reminiscence. 

But,  before  he  left  that  evening,  Jimmy  said,  "  Oh, 
by  th'  by,  I  meant  to  tell  you.  Th'  Bank  always 
pays  new  men  th'  first  month's  salary  in  advance. 
It's  a  sort  of  way  they  have  of — encouragin'  'em. 
So  you  want  to  see  that  that  young  man  gives  you 
some  of  his  money  when  he  comes  home  to-morrow 
night.  Good-by !  " 

He  wheeled  about  as  if  afraid  that  she  might  ask 
questions,  and  was  walking  briskly  up  the  street 
before  she  could  find  words  to  reply. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  144 

At  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  Jack  presented 
himself  in  Jimmy's  down-town  office.  Jimmy  was 
busy  at  his  desk,  and  bade  him  sit  down.  In  a  min 
ute  he  looked  up,  and  regarded  the  boy  with  a  steady, 
kindly  gaze. 

Jack  was  a  tall,  well-built  fellow.  He  had  the 
dark  luxuriant  hair  of  his  father ;  his  face  had  all  of 
his  father's  regularity  of  feature,  too.  But  his  nos 
trils  were  more  finely  cut  than  Marcus's,  and  his 
mouth  was  less  selfish.  Something  in  the  pose  of  his 
head  reminded  Jimmy  of  his  mother;  he  won 
dered  how  much  of  Kate's  spirit  and  sensitiveness 
were  in  the  boy.  Then,  as  Jack  grew  uneasy  under 
his  scrutiny  and  raised  his  hand  and  smoothed  his 
hair  with  spread  fingers,  Jimmy  could  have  sworn 
that  Marcus  sat  before  him  with  his  coat  thrown 
back  from  a  fancy  vest  in  his  favorite  attitude. 
"  Cut  all  over  on  Marcus's  lines,"  Jimmy  said  to 
himself.  "  But  he's  got  his  mother's  heart,  I'm 
sure,"  he  added,  consolingly. 

He  smothered  his  forebodings  with  this  reflection, 
and  ceased  to  regard  Jack  with  critical  glance.  He 
got  up,  came  around  the  desk,  and  laid  a  hand  on 
Jack's  shoulder. 

"  Your  mother  told  you  what  I  wanted  to  see  you 
about,  I  suppose?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Jack  answered.  His  face  brightened 
and  he  spoke  with  a  heartiness  that  Jimmy  liked. 
"  She  told  me  you  thought  there  might  be  a  place 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS 

for  me  in  the  Union  Bank.  I'd  like  very  much  to 
have  it;  I  want  to  go  to  work." 

Jimmy  nodded.  "  That's  right,"  he  said. 
"  There's  a  place  there  for  you,  sure  enough.  You'll 
be  given  th'  chance  to  make  your  way,  and  a  good 
chance.  But — I'll  be  your  friend,  of  course — but 
you'll  have  to  make  your  own  way." 

"  I  mean  to,"  returned  Jack  proudly. 

"  Good !  "  said  Jimmy.  "  I  like  to  hear  you  say 
that;  for  everybody  has  to  stand  on  his  own  legs 
with  me.  And  there's  somethin'  else;  can  you — 
keep  your  word?  " 

"  I  don't  lie,  if  that's  what  you  mean." 

Jimmy's  face,  which  had  been  a  little  stern,  soft 
ened.  "  Then  you'll  get  ahead,"  he  replied.  "  If 
you  lied  you  wouldn't, — not  for  a  minute.  For  I 
want  no  lame  ducks  nor  liars  round  me — least  of  all 
in  th'  Bank.  Th'  Bank  's  a  sort  of  hobby  of  mine. 
I  took  it  up  when  it  was  down,  and  I  gave  my  word 
that  th'  people  who  put  their  money  in  it  '11  never 
lose  it — while  I'm  President.  And  my  word's — my 
word !  "  he  added.  He  paused,  then  said  abruptly, 
"  Here's  a  note.  Give  it  to  th'  Cashier  at  th'  Bank; 
he'll  understand.  Good  luck  to  you !  " 

He  grasped  Jack's  hand.  The  boy  shook  it  and 
tried  to  speak  his  thanks.  But  Jimmy  was  never 
good  at  listening  to  thanks,  and  he  pushed  him 
gently  toward  the  door.  "  Go  on  now,"  he  said. 
"  I'm— busy." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  146 

Perchance,  it  was  this  same  lack  of  a  very  com 
mon  grace  that  made  Jimmy  vigorously  repudiate 
Kate's  hints  that  the  brass  plate  with  "  Dressmak 
ing  "  on  it  was  not  a  second-hand  one.  He  brought 
the  plate  to  her  the  evening  after  he  saw  Jack,  and 
she  approved  of  it  highly.  But,  examine  it  as 
closely  as  she  might,  she  could  find  no  marks  on  it 
to  indicate  that  it  had  seen  previous  use.  She  told 
him  as  much. 

"  Oh, — th'  woman  that  had  it — was — was  tur- 
rible  easy  on  her  signs,"  he  explained  hurriedly, 
and  at  once  took  it  from  Kate's  hands,  and  insisted 
on  fastening  it  on  the  window  sill  outside,  at  once. 

"  It  looks  tip-top,"  he  acknowledged  as  they 
viewed  it  together.  Afterward,  he  came  inside  for  a 
few  minutes,  to  tell  her  about  the  landlord.  He  had 
seen  him  (the  landlord),  he  said,  and  the  latter  was 
immensely  pleased  to  hear  that  she  was  going  to 
"  start  in  dressmakin'." 

Kate  could  not  resist  a  gentle  doubt  of  this,  and 
Jimmy  had  to  explain  the  landlord's  interest  in  her 
welfare.  Unconsciously,  they  slipped  into  talk  of 
other  things.  It  was  ten  o'clock  when  Jimmy  sud 
denly  realized  how  long  he  had  been  staying.  He 
said  good-night,  and  went  at  once. 

As  the  door  closed  behind  him  he  seemed  in  high 
spirits,  and  began  whistling,  very  much  out  of  tune. 

It  was  this  whistle  which,  jarring  on  the  sensi 
tive  ears  of  Marcus  Doran  as  he  turned  the  corner, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  147 

half  a  block  away,  made  him  look  up  the  street  and, 
recognizing  Jimmy,  stop  short.  Something  had 
flashed  into  his  brain  at  the  sight  that  caused  him  to 
dodge  quickly  into  the  mouth  of  a  convenient  alley 
way,  and  remain  there  until  Jimmy  had  passed. 

As  he  watched  the  stocky  little  figure  go  briskly 
by  a  light  glowed  in  Marcus's  eyes  that  was  not 
pleasant  to  see.  He  made  a  bow  to  Jimmy  in  the 
darkness  and  waved  an  arm. 

"  Come  again !  Come  often ! "  he  said,  half 
aloud.  "  You're  welcome  enough !  " 

Then,  as  Jimmy's  figure  faded  from  sight,  "  It's 
th'  very  thing.  What  a  fool  I  was  not  to  think  of  it ! 
He'd  do  anything — for  her.  If — only — ?  But 
there  must  be  some  way." 


CHAPTER  VII  148 

**"T  T"  T  HERE  did  you  get  your  sign  ?  "  asked 

^\/        Marcus,  when  he  came  in.    He  found 

Kate  by  the  window,  looking  up  the 

street,  but  he  knew  that  she  was  unaware  that  he  had 

seen  Jimmy  in  the  darkness.     He  had  waited  long 

enough  in  the  alley  to  make  sure  of  that. 

"  Jimmy  put  it  there,"  answered  Kate  slowly. 
"  I'm  going  to  try  my  hand  at  dressmaking." 

"  Jimmy's  idea,  too,  eh  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly,  but  I  spoke  to  him  about  it." 

"Oh,  you  did?     What  for?" 

"  Because — because  he  spoke  of  it  to  me." 

"  What  did  he  do  that  for?" 

Kate  paused  a  moment  before  replying.  She 
dreaded  a  scene  with  Marcus.  It  was  often  impos 
sible  to  tell  how  he  would  receive  an  announcemnt ; 
he  was  merciless  when  aroused.  But,  this  time,  her 
helplessness  gave  her  courage.  When  she  did  speak 
it  was  almost  defiantly.  "  He  suggested  it,  because 
he  wasn't  blind,  I  suppose,  and  had  a  kind  heart — 
because  he  saw  how  the  house  looked,  how  Jack 
looks,  how — you  look." 

"  Me !  "  exclaimed  Marcus.     He  did  not  under- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  149 

stand  what  his  appearance  had  to  do  with  this  ques 
tion,  but  the  inference  angered  him  none  the  less. 
"  Now,  that  was  kind  of  Jimmy,"  he  said.  He 
laughed  loudly.  "  Do  you  know  what  I  think?  "  he 
went  on.  "  I  think  Jimmy  does  entirely  too  much 
looking  around — here.  He'd  better  look  more  to  his 
own  business.  He  may  need  to — soon/'  he  added 
malevolently. 

This  drew  no  reply,  and  he  demanded,  "  What's 
he  come  here  for,  anyhow?"  He  bent  a  look  on 
Kate  which  he  meant  to  be  accusing,  but  her  face 
was  turned  the  other  way.  "  What's  he  come  here 
for  so  much  ?  "  he  repeated.  His  tone  was  menacing. 

Kate  was  forced  to  answer  him.  She  looked  at 
him  steadily,  almost  contemptuously.  "  Marcus," 
she  said,  "  do  you  know  what  Jimmy  has  done — for 
us?  Do  you  know  what  he  has  done  for  Jack?  " 

"  No,  and  I  don't  care." 

"  But  you've  got  to  hear.  He's  given  him  a  place 
in  the  Bank." 

Marcus  made  no  response,  but  curled  his  lip.  Kate 
went  on,  "  He's  given  him  a  start — more  than  you 
ever  did,"  she  added  bitterly.  "  In  nineteen  years 
you've  done  nothing  for  him,  but  teach  him,  by  ex 
ample,  whatever  he  knows  that  he  oughtn't  to  know. 
It's  a  fine  record  for  a  father !  " 

Marcus  laughed.  "  Good  enough  for  him,  the 
lazy  lout !  "  he  retorted.  "  You  've  done  nothing 
but  coddle  him." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  150 

"  I  took  special  care  of  him  because  you  didn't." 

"  Then  keep  him,  and  don't  bother  me  with  him." 
Marcus  settled  himself  in  a  chair  and  picked  up  a 
newspaper. 

Kate  made  ready  to  leave  the  room.  Her  heart 
was  very  sore;  it  was  always  this  way  when  Jack 
was  spoken  of.  Marcus  had  careless  words  for  the 
boy,  even  when  he  was  in  the  best  of  humors.  To 
her  Jack  was  a  star  of  hope — sometimes  a  far-away 
star,  yet  the  one  light  which  survived  fifteen  years 
of  steadily-deepening  darkness,  and  still  shone  to 
cheer  her  heart. 

Jack,  tall,  and,  she  was  forced  to  confess  to  herself, 
beginning  to  take  on  the  sleek  appearance  of  his 
father,  was  yet,  she  persuaded  herself,  her  own  in 
spirit.  It  was  little  else  than  natural  that  he  should 
be.  As  a  boy  his  father  had  given  him  no  attention. 
Until  he  went  to  school  he  had  been  hers  and  hers 
only.  After  that,  she  shared  him  with  his  mates,  and 
was  jealous  of  them,  every  one.  Six  months  before, 
he  had  graduated  from  school,  and  she  had  proposed 
to  have  him  start  in  at  once  at  earnest  work.  She 
had  staved  off  this  day  so  long  only  because  she  had 
ambitions  for  him,  and  intended  that  he  should  not 
start  with  the  handicap  which  the  boys  of  her  own 
generation  had  had.  But,  when  he  was  equipped 
to  do  his  part,  and  she  suggested  to  Marcus  that  he 
help  him  to  make  a  beginning,  Marcus  had  been 
indifferent.  Then  he  had  made  a  reference  in  vague 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  151 

terms  to  some  place  "  with  a  contractor  " ;  and  there 
the  thing  dropped.  For  Kate,  with  Marcus  before 
her  eyes,  saw  only  danger  in  such  employment.  She 
dreaded  Marcus's  tutelage;  she  was  apprehensive  of 
the  influences  which  Marcus  might  incidentally  bring 
to  bear  on  Jack  if  they  were  engaged  in  the  same 
field. 

So  when  Jimmy  brought  out  that  offer  of  a 
place  in  the  Bank  her  heart  leaped  for  joy.  Rec 
ollection  of  it  almost  effaced  the  resentment  which 
she  felt  for  Marcus  for  his  indifference  and  his  scoff 
ing  reference  to  Jack.  His  neglect  and  insulting 
treatment  of  herself  long  since  had  ceased  to  excite 
her  to  retaliation.  She  accepted  these  in  silence, 
though  there  was  always  a  dull  pain  in  her  breast. 

Presently,  Marcus  dropped  his  paper.  "  Look 
here !  "  he  said.  "  I've  been  thinking  about  that  dress 
making  plan  of  yours,  and  I've  decided  I  don't  want 
you  to  go  into  it." 

Kate  was  surprised  into  asking,  "Why  not?" 
Marcus  was  not  in  the  habit  of  giving  her  plans  a 
moment's  notice. 

"  Because,"  said  Marcus,  with  a  great  show  of 
dignity;  "because  Jimmy  was  the  one  that  put  you 
up  to  it." 

Kate  was  truly  astonished  now.  Marcus's  as 
sumption  of  pride  was  transparent,  but  his  words 
meant  something,  and  she  could  not  imagine  what 
this  was. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  152 

"  I  know  what  Jimmy  can  do  for  us,  and  what 
he  can't/'  went  on  Marcus.  "  And  this  is  one  of  the 
things  he  can't." 

Kate  said  nothing.  It  was  evident  that  Marcus 
had  a  "  piece  to  say,"  and,  she  knew  he  would  say  it 
without  prompting  from  her. 

"  No,  he  can't  do  it,"  continued  Marcus.  "  He's 
pretty  sharp,  but  I'm  not  asleep  myself.  Did  you 
ever  think  why  he  does  so  many  things  for  you?  " 
he  inquired,  looking  at  Kate  significantly. 

A  chill  struck  at  her  heart,  but  she  answered 
bravely,  "  Yes,  because  he  wants  to,  because  he's 
an  old  friend,  and  because  he  likes  to  help  me."  She 
remembered  now  that  this  was  the  same  question  in 
another  form  which  Marcus  had  put  to  her  a  few 
minutes  earlier. 

"  That's  just  it,"  he  said,  mockingly.  "  An  old 
friend,  and  wants  to  help  you.  Do  you  suppose  I 
believe  that  ?  Well,  not  exactly.  Do  you  think  I've 
forgotten  the  days  when  Jimmy  used  to  be  runnin' 
after  you?  Do  you  think  I've  forgotten  the  things 
he  said  about  me  to  you?  Not  a  bit  of  it.  If  you 
hadn't  run  off  with  me  across  the  river  to  old  May 
er's,  and  come  back  callin'  yourself  Mrs.  Doran, 
Jimmy  'd  never  have  given  up.  Mayer's  dead  now, 
sure  enough;  but  that  old  marriage  mill  of  his  'd 
been  shut  down  on  quick  enough,  if  Jimmy  could 
have  done  it  b'fore  we  got  there.  I  ain't  th'  fool 
you  think  me.  Jimmy's  '  dead  stuck '  on  you,  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  153 

always  has  been.  That's  th'  reason  I  ain't  goin'  to 
have  him  prowlin'  round  here  all  th'  time.  If  he 
wants  any  favors  he's  got  to  come  to  me  for  'em. 
I'm  boss  here,  and  I'll  tell  him  so." 

Kate  hardly  heard  the  last  words.  Never  had  she 
felt  such  disgust  and  contempt  for  Marcus  as  she 
did  at  this  moment.  Yet  her  old  spirit  was  not 
quenched  entirely,  and  she  turned  on  him  with  flash 
ing  eyes.  "  How  dare  you  say  that !  "  she  cried, 
"  How  dare  you !  What  has  Jimmy  done  to  make 
you  say  it  ?  Not  a  thing !  And  when  has  he  come 
here  that  you  did  not  know  it?  Never!  But  you 
told  one  truth  just  now.  The  day  I  ran  off  with 
you  I  made  the  worst  mistake  I  ever  can  make.  I 
know  it ;  I  know  it  better  every  day  that  I  live.  You 
coward ! " 

Marcus  raised  a  sneering  face,  and,  all  at  once, 
her  courage  forsook  her.  She  dropped  her  arms 
which  she  had  raised  in  accusation,  and  ran  from 
the  room  and  to  the  back  of  the  house. 

Jack  was  asleep  in  his  room.  She  looked  in,  then 
tip-toed  across  the  floor,  and  bent  over  him.  She 
watched  him  for  a  moment,  her  face  flooded  with 
tenderness  and  solicitude ;  then  she  pressed  a  kiss  on 
his  forehead.  He  moved  restlessly,  but  did  not 
awaken.  Still  a  little  longer  she  stood  looking  down 
on  him  in  the  half  light  of  the  room,  and  breathed  a 
silent  prayer  which,  it  may  have  been,  caused  her 
lips  to  quiver  and  her  fingers  to  lock  themselves 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  154 

tightly.  Then,  she  softly  moved  to  a  sofa  in  one 
corner  of  the  room,  and  lay  down.  Something  came 
to  calm  her  rebellious  thoughts  and  soothe  her  pain, 
and,  presently,  she  was  asleep. 

Marcus  was  wide  awake  for  much  of  that  night. 
But  they  were  not  regrets  that  drove  sleep  from 
him.  His  spirits  ran  high;  his  brain  was  busy. 
After  Kate  left  he  sat  for  almost  an  hour,  gazing  at 
nothing,  thinking  very  hard.  He  bit  his  finger  nails 
and  once  or  twice  got  up  and  paced  the  room.  He 
lighted  a  cigar,  and  chewed  on  it  nervously.  What 
ever  it  was  that  made  him  flog  his  brain,  it  was  one 
o'clock  before  he  had  decided  just  what  to  do.  Then 
he  threw  away  the  cigar  butt,  removed  his  shoes, 
and  made  his  way  silently  to  Kate's  bedroom  door. 
He  listened  there,  but,  hearing  no  breathing,  walked 
in,  lighted  the  gas  and  looked  at  the  bed.  When  he 
found  that  Kate  was  not  there,  he  stood  for  a  few 
seconds,  debating ;  then  he  stole  to  the  door  of  Jack's 
room.  He  heard  Kate's  breathing  this  time,  and 
saw  her  form  dimly  outlined  on  the  sofa.  He  looked 
hugely  satisfied  thereat.  He  closed  the  door  gently, 
and  went  back  to  her  bedroom.  The  door  of  that 
he  locked,  once  he  was  inside,  and  pulled  down  the 
window  blinds.  Then  he  began  to  hunt. 

First,  it  was  Kate's  desk  that  he  investigated — a 
cheap  affair  of  oak  which  did  not  appear  as  if  it 
could  hold  much  that  was  of  marketable  value.  But 
Marcus  went  through  the  half  dozen  drawers  and  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  155 

pigeon  holes  of  the  desk  as  if  it  were  a  cabinet  of 
treasures.  When  his  search  disclosed  nothing  that 
was  to  his  taste  he  uttered  a  snort  of  disgust.  He 
came  upon  some  letters,  a  fat  packet  of  bills,  and 
some  girlish  mementoes,  among  these  last  a  crack 
ling  bunch  of  violets  at  which  he  laughed.  He 
crushed  the  dried  flowers  in  his  fingers,  honestly 
thinking  they  had  come  from  Jimmy.  He  never 
knew  that,  unwittingly,  he  had  destroyed  a  souvenir 
of  the  adoration  which  he  himself  once  had  inspired. 
He  examined  everything  in  the  desk  without  shame; 
and,  at  the  end,  in  his  chagrin,  cleared  the  top  leaf 
with  a  blow  of  his  arm.  Then,  he  recollected  some 
thing,  and  collected  the  scattered  papers,  and  re 
placed  them  as  nearly  in  their  former  order  as  he 
could. 

Afterwards,  he  stood,  his  hands  deep  in  his  trous 
ers'  pockets,  his  hungry  glance  roving  over  the  fur 
niture  in  the  room.  And  the  bureau  came  next  under 
his  hand,  and  Kate's  meagre  stock  of  finery  strewed 
the  floor.  Marcus  swore  savagely,  but  restored  the 
articles  to  their  places. 

For  an  hour  he  kept  up  his  search  in  this  way,  and 
without  reward.  Finally,  he  lighted  another  cigar, 
and  smoked  while  he  lay  back  in  a  chair.  Gradually, 
from  reflection  on  his  bafflement,  was  evolved  a 
certain  consolation,  which,  as  he  thought  on  it  the 
longer,  almost  recompensed  him  for  not  finding  what 
he  wanted. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  156 

At  the  breakfast  table  he  was  in  quite  a  different 
humor  from  that  of  the  night  before.  Kate  was 
silent,  and  would  have  been  wholly  oblivious  to  his 
change  of  demeanor  if  she  had  known  his  char 
acter  any  less  thoroughly.  At  first  she  had  not  in 
tended  to  see  him  that  morning;  but  the  sight  of 
Jack,  sleeping  so  peacefully  had  come  before  her 
again  and  again,  and  had  wrought  upon  her  so  that 
she  could  view  her  duty  only  in  the  light  of  his  hap 
piness  and  his  welfare.  Therefore,  she  had  tried  to 
put  Marcus's  words  of  the  night  before  out  of  her 
recollection ;  and  she  met  him  at  the  table  with  tran 
quil  face.  But,  though  all  her  thoughts,  at  first, 
were  elsewhere,  she  soon  found  herself  listening  to 
what  he  said,  and  remembered  it  long  afterwards. 

"  Jack's  gone  to  th' — Bank,  I  suppose  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied. 

He  made  no  further  remark  for  a  little  while, 
then,  "  I  was  sort  of — sort  of  ugly  about  Jimmy — 
last  night,"  he  said.  His  voice  was  intended  to  be 
propitiatory. 

She  made  no  response. 

"  I've  been  thinking  about  what  I  said,"  he  went 
on,  after  another  pause ;  "  and,  if  you  want  to  do  that 
dressmakin',  why,  I  don't  care." 

Still  Kate  made  no  reply. 

"  Oh,  come !  "  said  Marcus.  "  Don't  be  sulky 
about  it!" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  157 

She  opened  her  lips,  then  closed  them  again,  and 
Marcus  repeated  his  advice. 

"  I'm  not  sulky/'  Kate  returned.  "  I  heard  what 
you  said."  She  was  sorry  at  once  that  she  had 
yielded  to  the  temptation  to  reply. 

"You're  going  to  take  up  th'  work  then — th' 
dressmaking,  I  mean  ?  " 

She  thought  she  divined  his  purpose  now.  His 
innate  selfishness  had  got  the  better  of  his  dis 
like  for  Jimmy.  Now  he  was  afraid  she  would  not 
undertake  the  dressmaking,  and  that  he  would  so 
lose  a  chance  to  be  relieved  of  some  of  the  expense 
of  providing  for  her  and  Jack.  The  cause  of  his 
penitence  turned  out  to  be  a  very  petty,  sordid 
one,  after  all.  But,  in  a  way,  the  discovery  reas 
sured  her.  There  was  nothing  in  so  familiar  a  trait 
as  was  this  to  cause  her  either  alarm  or  shame, 
for  all  that  it  offended  her  to  have  him  parade  such  a 
contemptible  quality. 

She  cut  short  his  further  explanation  and  appeals 
with  the  statement,  rt  You  needn't  worry.  I  am 
going  to  try  th'  dressmaking." 

"  I'm  glad  of  it,"  returned  Marcus  promptly. 
"  And  Jack  can  stay  in  th'  Bank,"  he  added  with  an 
air  of  magnanimity.  "  As  far  as  I  go,  I  don't  really 
care,  when  I  come  to  think  it  over.  I  suppose,  he 
ought  to  be  doing  somethin'."  There  he  closed  the 
conversation. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  158 

Straightway  after  breakfast,  Marcus  walked  to 
Jimmy's  office.  He  walked  with  the  confident  step 
of  one  who  has  an  appointment  from  which  he  ex 
pects  much  to  his  own  advantage.  Yet,  for  all  that, 
when  he  reached  the  room  adjoining  Jimmy's  office, 
he  took  a  seat  there,  and  waited.  He  knew  better 
than  to  try  to  see  Jimmy  when  someone  else  was 
with  the 'latter.  Jimmy  had  yet  to  learn  of  the  honor 
done  him  by  the  call;  moreover,  the  formalities  of 
this  outer  office,  while  few,  were  tacitly  regarded  as 
inviolable.  The  rule  of  numerical  precedence  was 
absolute  with  all  who  came  to  see  Jimmy.  Marcus 
promised  himself  to  become  an  exception  to  this  rule 
in  the  near  future;  for  the  present,  however,  he 
abided  by  it. 

And,  indeed,  this  regulation  was  an  excellent  one 
in  its  way.  For  by  it,  in  good  time  and  in  his  turn, 
every  one  who  came  was  sure  of  seeing  Jimmy. 
Jimmy's  "  receptions  "  were  not  exclusive  or  infre 
quent.  There  were  few  days  on  which  he  was  not 
at  work  by  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  mid 
night  often  saw  him  still  at  it!  If  he  was  not  in 
"  Back,"  he  was  on  the  streets,  or  at  some  Ward 
Headquarters,  or  at  the  State  Capital,  or  in  a  hotel 
room  engaged  for  the  occasion.  Jimmy  laughed  to 
himself  at  the  men  in  other  occupations  than  his 
own  who  complained  because  of  the  length  of  their 
working  days,  and  who  were  "  too  busy  "  to  see  a 
visitor.  As  for  himself  he  found  it  difficult  to  get 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  159 

time  to  attend  to  all  that  came  to  his  hand  to  do ;  yet 
it  was  a  rare  thing  for  him  to  be  too  much  occupied 
to  grant  an  interview. 

"  A  door  that's  hard  to  open  keeps  out  lots  besides 
bad  weather,"  he  used  to  say. 

And  certainly,  they  were  of  all  kinds  who  came 
to  see  him.  Marcus  now  idly  surveyed  the  men  who 
sat  with  him  along  two  sides  of  the  room  on 
shiny  chairs  and  benches  set  against  the  walls.  They 
made  such  an  array  as,  some  would  have  declared, 
only  City  Councils  chambers  and  a  Police  Magis 
trate's  office,  on  a  busy  day,  could  have  furnished. 

Next  to  Marcus  was  a  stout  man  with  bull  neck 
and  puffy  eyelids  who  wore  a  jetty  mustache,  and 
broadcloth  and  exhaled  an  atmosphere  of  hair  oil. 
Shouldering  him  was  an  old-young  man  with  ferret 
face  and  fan-like  ears  who  wore  a  coat  that  was 
shiny  at  the  elbows,  greasy  down  the  front  and  too 
short  in  the  sleeves.  This  person's  glance  seemed 
always  dodging  something,  and  his  fingers  curled  in 
a  way  that  was  unpleasant.  At  the  head  of  the  line 
was  a  little  fellow  with  graying  whiskers  and  eyes 
like  needles.  He  called  everybody  by  his  first  name, 
and,  as  everyone  knew,  had  a  memory  for  political 
incidents  that  was  awkward  at  times.  In  the  middle 
of  one  line  was  a  workman  with  smutted  cheeks 
who  twirled  his  hat  with  trembling  hands,  while  his 
furtive  air  said  as  plainly  as  tongue,  "  I  wish  t' 
heaven  I  was  out  a  here !  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  160 

Marcus,  eyeing  this  last  man,  smiled  sardonically. 
"  And  he'll  wish  that  twice  as  hard  when  Jimmy 
gets  through  with  him,"  he  said  to  himself. 

Marcus  made  no  mistake  about  Jimmy's  ability  to 
deal  a  blow  from  the  shoulder  when  punishment  was 
called  for.  Neither  did  he  misjudge  Jimmy's  ability 
and  willingness  to  reward  such  as  it  suited  his  plans 
to  aid.  Whichever  way  it  might  be — whether  those 
who  "  saw  "  Jimmy  in  "  Back  "  went  from  there 
blessing  or  cursing, — they  always  knew  that  the 
word  had  been  said  in  their  case,  and  that  the  thing 
was  as  good  as  done.  Jimmy  was  absolute  within 
his  barony. 

Musing  on  this,  Marcus  became  mightily  pleased 
with  himself.  What  a  thing  it  was  to  have  a  power 
ful  friend  to  go  to  when  one  needed  something! 
How  comforting  it  was,  too,  to  have  that  friend  in 
such  a  position  that — !  At  this  point  the  stout  man 
in  broadcloth  came  out  of  "  Back  "  laughing,  and 
Marcus  walked  in. 

He  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  took  the  chair 
vacated  by  his  predecessor.  Jimmy  gave  him  no 
greeting.  His  face  was  a  blank,  ready  to  be  written 
on  by  whatever  emotion  the  needs  of  the  occasion 
might  summon. 

"  I  came  in  to  thank  you  for  what  you've  done  for 
Kate  and  Jack,"  Marcus  explained  glibly. 

Jimmy  did  not  think  the  lie  itself  worthy  of  no 
tice,  but  he  was  all  alert  to  the  situation  which  it 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  161 

seemed  to  introduce.  His  suspicions,  like  so  many 
feelers,  probed  Marcus's  face,  but,  for  once  got  small 
satisfaction.  He  said  "  Yes,"  and  waited. 

"  You've  done  a  lot  for  Kate  and  Jack  and — me," 
added  Marcus.  He  had  got  enjoyment  from  this 
scene  in  anticipation ;  he  meant  to  make  the  most  of 
it  in  realization.  "  And  I  want  to  say  that  I — 
appreciate  it/'  he  continued.  "  It's  mighty  kind  of 
you." 

"  Come,  what  do  you  want?  "  demanded  Jimmy. 
There  was  plenty  of  work  awaiting  him;  he  was 
impatient. 

"  What  do  I  want  ?  "  repeated  Marcus  leisurely. 
"  Why,  I  want  to  see  if  you  won't  do  a  little  more 
for — for  us.  You've  got  a  dressmakin'  sign  for 
Kate."  He  laughed.  "And  Jack  a  place  in  th' 
Bank.  So  they're  fixed.  But  here  I  am.  What  are 
you  goin'  to  do  for  me?  " 

"  I've  told  you  that,"  returned  Jimmy,  ignoring 
Marcus's  aggravating  slowness  and  insinuating 
voice.  "  If  you've  come  down  here  to  try  to  pull  my 
leg  again,"  he  went  on  in  sharp  tones;  "  you're  wast- 
in'  your  time.  I'm  in  a  hurry,  and  you'd  better  get 
out;  th'  sooner  th'  better." 

"  Oh !  I  guess  you  can  give  me  a  little  time,"  said 
Marcus.  He  smiled  indulgently,  then  continued 
with  a  wave  of  his  hand  over  his  shoulder  to  indicate 
those  in  the  adjoining  room.  "  What  I've  got  to  say 
you  don't  want  them  to  hear,  and  wouldn't  want 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  162 

to  miss  yourself.  You're  such  a  friend  of  th' 
Doran  family." 

He  chuckled  both  at  the  innuendo  which,  it 
seemed  to  him,  was  cleverly  phrased  and  at  the  glint 
in  Jimmy's  eyes.  It  was  a  new  experience  to  have 
a  joke  at  Jimmy's  expense  and  to  face  Jimmy's 
wrath  unafraid.  "  Yes,  you're  a  friend  of  th'  fam 
ily — 'specially  of  Kate,"  he  repeated. 

The  glint  in  Jimmy's  eyes  had  leaped  into  flame; 
his  face  was  a  terrible,  deadly  white.  He  pushed 
back  his  chair.  The  plump  hands  were  hard  fists. 
He  worked  his  neck  loose  from  the  clasp  of  his  collar 
and  took  one  step.  "There's  th'  door! — Quick!" 
he  said  in  a  clear,  dry  voice.  "  If  you  say  that  again, 
I'll !" 

"  I  don't  have  to  say  it  again,"  replied  Marcus, 
more  moved  than  his  bold  front  betrayed.  "  You 
know  what  I  mean,  and  I'm  not  goin'  out  yet, 
either !  "  he  concluded. 

Jimmy  started  around  the  corner  of  his  desk. 
"  Hold  on !  "  cried  Marcus.  "  You  don't  want  a  row 
here — over  this!  You  want  to  keep  quiet  and  hear 
all  that  I've  got  to  say." 

There  was  a  cool  defiance  in  this  warning — an 
assurance  that  Jimmy,  of  all  men,  would  have  been 
the  last  to  misinterpret.  He  saw  that,  whatever  was 
in  Marcus's  mind,  it  gave  him  courage.  And,  when 
a  coward  has  courage,  Jimmy  had  often  said  to 
himself,  it's  well  for  the  other  man  to  look  behind 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  163 

him.  So  he  stood  erect  a  moment,  his  blue  eyes 
boring  Marcus  through  and  through,  his  hands 
clinched.  Then,  he  sat  down.  Except  for  a  curious 
intentness  in  his  look  no  one  would  have  known  that 
he  was  even  watchful  of  the  man  in  front  of  him 
But,  in  his  heart,  was  something  like  murder. 

Marcus  understood  enough  of  this  to  make  him 
decide  to  bring  the  thing  to  a  head  at  once.  "  That 
contract  I  spoke  to  you  about  th'  other  day — I  want 
it!"  he  said. 

Jimmy  answered  him  as  calmly  as  if  it  was  a 
mere  business  question.  "  Yes,  but  you  know  why 
I  said  I  couldn't  give  it  to  you." 

"  I  know  that.  I  remember  why  you  said  you 
couldn't  give  it  to  me.  But  that  was  the  other  day. 
You've  changed  your  mind  since  then,  I  think." 

"  Oh,  have  I  ? "  returned  Jimmy,  and  then, 
"Why?" 

'"  Because  you — want  to  give  it  to  me — now. 
I'm  ready  to  buy  it." 

"  Th'  price?  "  asked  Jimmy,  after  a  pause. 

"  It's  this,"  replied  Marcus,  and  he  leaned  close, 
and  spoke  a  few  words  in  an  undertone. 

Jimmy  sprang  to  his  feet.  "  It's  a  black-hearted 
lie !  "  he  cried.  His  fury  was  intense. 

Marcus  jumped  back.  But  the  next  instant,  star 
ing  Jimmy  in  the  face,  he  asked,  "  Do  you  want  me 
to  prove  it  ?  You  know  how !  I'll  do  it,  if  you  say 
so!" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  164 

"  It's  a  lie !  A  lie !  You  damned  coward !  "  raged 
Jimmy. 

"  I'll  give  you  till  to-morrow  to  take  that  back," 
declared  Marcus.  "  But  I  want  that  contract — 
then"  he  added  menacingly ;  "  or — I'll  prove  what  I 
told  you."  He  turned  and  walked  out  of  the  room. 

Jimmy  dropped  into  his  chair.  "  A  lie !  A  lie !  "  he 
repeated  in  a  whisper. 


CHAPTER  Fill  165 

THAT  afternoon  Jimmy  was  not  in  his  office, 
and  no  one  could  say  where  he  was.  The 
waiting  room  filled  up  and  emptied  itself. 
Ed  Walsh,  who  called  on  particular  business,  failed 
to  find  Jimmy  where  he  had  said  he  would  be.  It  was 
a  strange  thing;  it  was  not  Jimmy's  habit  to  break 
appointments ;  stranger  still  was  the  fact  that  he  had 
left  no  word.  Showell,  when  questioned  by  some 
of  his  subordinates,  looked  wise,  and  replied,  "  Out 
of  town."  That  was  Showell's  idea  of  shrewdness. 
Secrecy  impressed  some  people  and  hurt  no  one. 
Yet  Showell,  like  Walsh,  wondered  much  what 
public  errand  it  could  be  that  had  called  Jimmy  away 
so  suddenly  that  he  had  neither  notified  them  nor  left 
an  explanation  where  they  would  find  it. 

The  fact  was,  the  business  that  had  made 
Jimmy  throw  up  all  engagements  did  not  concern 
Walsh  or  Showell  or  any  one  who  was  with  him  or 
against  him  in  public  life.  It  concerned  himself  so 
thoroughly  that  it  made  him  avoid  all  notice  and 
even  conceal  his  movements.  His  face  and  manner 
would  have  astonished  his  familiars  could  they  have 
watched  him  unobserved;  and  a  lot  of  futile  guess- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  166 

ing  would  have  followed.  In  brief,  Jimmy  looked 
and  behaved  as  does  the  ordinary  mortal  whose 
heart  has  been  dealt  a  powerful  blow. 

Two  hours  he  spent  out  of  town,  yet  not  so  many 
miles  away,  visiting  places  which  he  located  after 
much  questioning,  and  from  which  he  came  away 
disappointed,  and  with  a  sharper  pain  in  his  breast. 
Twice  he  visited  public  offices,  and,  by  the  magic  of 
his  name,  enlisted  the  services  of  every  employe 
therein.  But,  from  all  this  aid,  he  gained  nothing  but 
a  surer  sense  of  his  helplessness.  Back  in  his  own  city 
again,  he  hurried  down  town  and  into  a  side  street 
on  which  were  rows  of  small,  brick  houses.  But, 
when  he  halted  in  front  of  one  of  these  houses  which 
bore  a  brass  sign,  "  Dressmaking/'  it  was  only  to 
stand  a  moment  irresolute,  then  to  start  suddenly 
on,  shaking  his  head.  He  came  again  on  this  street, 
a  little  later,  and  this  time  carried  his  purpose  as  far 
as  the  doorstep  of  the  house.  But,  with  his  arm 
out-stretched  to  the  bell-pull,  he  changed  his  mind 
abruptly,  withdrew  his  hand,  glanced  at  the  window, 
as  if  afraid  he  had  been  seen,  turned,  and  hastened 
away. 

He  paused  at  the  first  corner  for  a  minute.  In  that 
time  his  face  underwent  a  transformation.  When  he 
walked  on  again,  to  all  outward  appearances,  he  was 
the  Jimmy  whom  the  world  knew — sure  of  himself 
and  of  what  he  should  do.  If  Marcus  Doran  had 
followed  his  movements  that  afternoon  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  167 

had  seen  this  later  metamorphosis,  he  would  have 
been  entirely  satisfied,  or  else  greatly  perturbed. 

As  it  was,  Marcus  was  at  Jimmy's  office  early  in 
the  following  morning,  the  prey  to  misgivings  which 
all  of  his  arguments  did  not  enable  him  to  dismiss. 
He  had  a  proper  respect  for  Jimmy's  craft  and 
power.  He  knew  there  were  depths  in  the  other's 
nature;  and,  though  he  had  never  sounded  these, 
they  existed  to  be  at  once  a  solace  and  a  danger  to 
their  possessor.  Accidentally,  Marcus  had  got  a 
glimpse  into  a  chamber  in  Jimmy's  heart,  and  had 
turned  his  discovery  to  account.  But  the  feelings 
which  he  had  thus  played  on,  he  was  aware,  would 
drive  Jimmy  to  desperate  measures  before  he  capitu 
lated.  It  was  this  understanding  which  most 
worried  him. 

Turn  the  question  as  he  would,  however,  he  could 
see  but  one  way  in  which  Jimmy  might  escape  from 
his  predicament — and  Jimmy  himself  was  surety 
that  he  would  do  anything  before  he  had  recourse  to 
it.  So,  uneasy  in  mind,  outwardly  the  personifica 
tion  of  bland  assurance,  Marcus  entered  Jimmy's 
office. 

The  latter  was  behind  his  desk,  neatly  at 
tired,  clean  shaven  and  busy  as  always.  Yet  he 
exhibited  signs  which  Marcus  did  not  fail  to  mark. 
His  eyes  were  tired,  his  mouth  set  a  little  too  tightly, 
something  like  a  tremble,  now  and  again,  seized 
upon  his  hand. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  168 

He  looked  up  as  Marcus  entered,  and  asked  him  to 
close  the  door  which  Marcus  was  in  the  act  of  doing. 
Then  he  said  abruptly,  "  You  shall  have  that  con 
tract.  I  cannot  give  it  to  you  to-day  or  to-morrow. 

I  have some  details  to  arrange  first;  but  you 

will  get  it.  Does  that  satisfy  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  returned  Marcus;  he  was  eminently  satis 
fied.  It  was  a  tribute  to  the  worth  of  Jimmy's  word 
that  even  Marcus  accepted  it  as  equivalent  to  the 
contract,  signed  and  delivered. 

"  Then,"  said  Jimmy;  "  I'll  be  glad  if  you'll  get 
out  of  this  room — quick!  It's  too  small  for  us 
both."  He  pointed  to  the  door. 

Marcus  got  up,  affecting  lazy  indifference.  He 
felt  that  he  could  afford  to  pass  over  Jimmy's  offen 
sive  words  and  manner  just  now.  "  Yes,  I'm  in  a 
hurry,  too,"  he  replied.  "  Mrs.  Doran's  waiting  for 


me." 


Whatever  was  in  those  words,  they  drove  from 
Jimmy's  face  every  suggestion  of  exhaustion,  and 
Marcus  walked  out  slowly.  He  was,  perhaps,  as 
proud  of  himself  at  this  moment  as  at  any  time  in 
his  life. 

For  several  minutes  after  Jimmy  saw  the  last  of 
his  back  he  sat  erect,  his  thoughts  traveling  to  a 
certain  mean,  little  house  with  a  brass  sign  at  its 
window.  It  was  such  a  fit  of  abstraction  as  it  is 
doubtful  if  any  of  those  who  worked  with  him  had 
ever  seen  fall  upon  him.  None  the  less,  it  held  him 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  169 

fast.  And,  again  and  again  that  morning,  between 
interviews  with  those  who  found  him  as  vigilant  and 
resourceful  and  quick-spoken  as  usual,  it  stole  upon 
him.  It  brought  before  him  a  woman's  slim  figure, 
with  brown  hair  threaded  with  gray  brushed  softly 
back ;  and  gray  eyes,  wistful,  yet  clear  and  trusting, 
and  a  mouth  that  was  sweet  and  strong  for  all  its 
occasional  quiver.  Always  this  woman  seemed  to 
be  looking  at  him.  He  never  could  understand  that 
look,  nor  could  he  understand  himself  at  such  times. 
Yet — this  woman  was  the  Kate  he  had  known  so 
long — the  Kate  whom  he  was  sure  he  never  could 
forget,  though  she  made  him  wonder  many  times. 

It  was  from  one  such  day-dream  that  he  roused 
himself  about  noon,  and  walked  quickly  from 
the  office  toward  his  old  stamping  ground  in  the 
Twelfth  Ward.  Just  short  of  a  gilt  sign  with  "  Mat 
Casey — Fine  Liquors  "  on  it,  he  pulled  the  bell  at  a 
modest  side  door,  and  soon  was  admitted  into  a 
narrow  hall. 

It  was  Mat  Casey  who  let  him  in,  Mat  Casey  with 
his  hair  slicked  down  in  those  inevitable  artistic 
curves,  but  now  without  the  white  jacket  which  he 
always  wore  behind  the  bar,  and  with  his  sleeves 
rolled  up.  A  strong  odor  of  ham  and  boiled  cabbage 
came  from  the  door  at  the  end  of  the  hall,  and  Jimmy 
rightly  guessed  when  he  said,  "  At  dinner,  Mat  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Casey ;  "  an'  won't  ye'  come  in 
an'  swaten  th'  tay  we're  drinkin'  by  y'r  prisince  ?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  170 

"  Not  this  time,"  returned  Jimmy.  "  But  can't 
th'  dinner  go  for  a  few  minutes?  " 

"  Fur  ever  'f  y'  loike,"  responded  Casey.  "  Come 
'nto  th'  parlur.  Th'  ol'  woman  's  in  th'  dinin' 
room,"  he  explained,  anticipating  Jimmy's  query. 
"  I'll  jus'  shlip  back,  an'  tell  her  thet  th'  front  av  th' 
house  's  no  place  fur  ladies  at  prisint." 

He  was  gone  before  Jimmy  could  check  him,  but 
immediately  was  back  again.  "  We're  now  alone 
in  a  wild  disirt,"  he  assured  Jimmy.  "  Aven  th'  flies 
's  got  cotton  sthuffed  in  their  ears." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Jimmy.  "  And  I  won't  keep 
you  very  long.  I  really  came  up  to  see  Mrs.  Casey 
as  much  as  you.  My  business  is  to  tell  you  that  Mrs. 
Casey  's  in  need  of  some  new  dresses." 

Casey's  jaw  dropped.  "  Repate  that,  'f  y'  plaze," 
he  stammered  presently ;  and  Jimmy  repeated  it  with 
such  success  that,  this  time,  after  a  moment's  wait, 
the  little  Irishman  said,  nodding  his  head, 

"  That's  so,  that's  so !  T's  mesilf  thet's  noticed  th' 
same;  an'  have  th'  drisses  she  shall,  'f  you  but  say 
th'  wurrurd." 

"  I  do,"  said  Jimmy.  "  I  want  her  to  have  th' 
dresses,  and  right  off.  I  know  th'  dressmaker  that 
will  suit  her  exactly." 

"  Give  me  th'  addriss,  an'  th'  next  cyar  she  shall 
take  f  th'  place,"  remarked  Casey.  He  had  got 
into  his  head  but  one  thing,  but  that  sufficed  for  him 
— the  Boss  wished  Mrs.  Casey  to  have  new  dresses. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  171 

"  I'll  give  you  th'  address/'  said  Jimmy.  "  But 
first  Mrs.  Casey  must  be  told  th'  kind  of  dresses  to 
order." 

"  Who'll  tell  her?  Th'  drissmaker?  "  asked  Casey. 

"  No,  I  will/'  returned  Jimmy.  "Ask  Mrs. 
Casey  to  step  in  here  a  minute,  will  you?"  Jimmy 
spoke  confidently,  but  his  spirit  quailed.  Talking 
about  woman's  dress  to  Mat  was  one  thing,  but  con 
versing  on  the  same  subject  with  Mrs.  Casey  was 
quite  a  different  affair. 

Casey,  presently,  fetched  Mrs.  Casey,  who,  pro 
testing  that  she  was  a  sight  "  unfit  fur  Misther 
Divlin  t'  rist  eyes  on,"  entered,  rolling  down  the 
sleeves  from  her  red  arms.  Towering  six  inches 
above  Mat,  she  filled  in  the  doorway  where  she  stood, 
bobbing  her  head,  her  broad  face  shining  a 
welcome  to  "  the  Boss."  Casey  stood  beside  her, 
apologizing  for  her  appearance,  indicating  by  his 
masterful  clutch  on  her  arm  that  he  allowed  of  no 
excuses  or  delay  when  Mrs.  Casey  was  in  question 
and  Jimmy  called. 

Jimmy's  eyes  danced  with  delight  as  he  encom 
passed  Mrs.  Casey's  generous  proportions  with  a 
glance.  His  greeting  came  right  from  his  heart. 

"Mrs.  Casey,"  he  declared;  "never  have  I  been 
so  glad  of  anything  as  to  see  how  hearty  you're  look 
ing.  And  now  I  won't  keep  you  but  a  minute;  for 
I  know  you  must  have  your  hands  full,  watchin' 
overmuch  a  strappin'  fellow  as  Mat  here.  I  only 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  172 

wanted  to  tell  you  where  you  could  find  a  dress 
maker.  Mat  said  you  were  going  to  get  some  new 
clothes,  and  I  told  him  I  knew  just  th'  one  to  make 
them  for  you." 

Mrs.  Casey  gasped.  "  May  th'  saints  kape  clost  t' 
me  skirts !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  but  phwat  has  come  over 
y',  Mat  Casey?"  Then,  seeing  Mat's  violent  wink 
and  realizing  that  it  was  "  The  Boss  "  who  had  told 
her  this,  she  turned  on  Jimmy.  "  But,  Misther 
Divilin,"  she  said ;  "  I'm  in  nade  av  no  drisses  at  all ; 
an'  't  's  Mat  's  bin  takin'  too  many  '  on  th'  house ' 
b'hind  th'  bar,  er  he'd  niver  bin  tillin'  such  sthories." 

"  No,"  put  in  Jimmy  quickly.  "  Mat's  all  right, 
and  so  am  I.  And  you're  all  right,  too.  Only  you 
haven't  heard  it  all  yet.  I  had — a  bet  with  Mat — 
on  th'  election  in  th'  Tenth  Ward, — and  for  a  joke, 
I  bet  two  dresses  for  you  against  Mat's  box  of 
cigars, — and — and — I  lost.  So  I've  come  now  to  pay 
my  bet,  and  Mat — Mat  thought  you  ought  to  be  told 
how  it  was ;  for  I'd  told  him  that  you  could  only  get 
your  dresses  at  a  place  I  had  in  mind.  Now,  you 
understand,  don't  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Casey,  struggling  with  her  amazement  at 
such  an  extraordinary  bet  and  detecting  in  Mat's 
broad  grin  that  there  was  something  behind  all  this, 
shook  her  head.  She  looked  from  one  man  to  the 
other.  On  Mat  she  bestowed  a  glance  which  made 
him  tremble  and  throw  an  appealing  look  at  Jimmy. 
But  Jimmy  seemed  to  be  unaware  of  any  danger; 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  173 

and,  while  his  face  was  grave,  there  was  a  twinkle  in 
his  eyes. 

Finally,  from  awe  of  Jimmy  rather  than  from  any 
conviction,  Mrs.  Casey  acquiesced  in  the  situation. 
"But  what  kind  av  drisses  're  they  t'  be?"  she 
inquired. 

And  now  blankness  fell  upon  Jimmy's  countenance, 
and  he  mutely  called  on  Mat  for  aid.  But  this  time 
Mat  was  obdurate,  and  his  wrinkled  visage  mocked 
at  the  other's  bewilderment. 

Jimmy  tried  valiantly  to  rise  to  the  occasion. 
"  Why — !  why — !  "  he  stuttered,  understanding  that 
this  was  a  critical  stage  in  the  proceedings ;  "  Why, 
— big  dresses,  of  course ! — party  dresses !  " 

Mrs.  Casey's  face  evinced  increasing  interest.  She 
struggled  with  her  scepticism.  Jimmy  was  encour 
aged.  He  would  have  cast  a  triumphant  glance  on 
Mat,  if  he  had  dared.  He  went  on  boldly,  "  Yes, 
they  must  be — loose — and  have  lots  of  lace — and 
silk  and  fur — and — feathers — .  No,  not  feathers," 
he  corrected  himself;  "but  they  must  be — must  be 
— oh,  you  know  what! — expensive,  I  mean."  He 
blurted  this  last  out  desperately,  but  with  a  sense  of 
having  covered  the  estimate  in  one  word. 

Mrs.  Casey  fell  against  the  door  frame.  Her  im 
pression  was  that  Jimmy  had  gone  crazy  and 
that  Mat  was  humoring  him.  But  Jimmy's  face,  she 
realized  almost  at  once,  was  not  that  of  an  idiot,  only 
badly  confused.  Suddenly,  she  awoke  to  the  appar- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  174 

ent  fact  that  this  was  all  a  joke.  And,  even  the 
presence  of  "  the  Boss  "  did  not  enable  her  to  repress 
her  indignation  at  the  thought  that  she  had  been 
made  the  butt  of  such  a  jest.  She  turned  on  Casey. 

"  An'  't  's  ashamed  av  y'rsilf  y'  ought  t'  be,  Mat 
Casey!"  she  cried.  "  T'  bring  me  in  here,  b'fore 
Misther  Divilin,  too,  an'  make  a  fool  av  me  loike  this. 
I'll  sthand  't  no  longer,  I  won't.  Misther  Divilin  '11 
have  t'  be  afther  gittin'  somebody  ilse  t'  till  his  driss- 
makin'  plans  t'."  With  that  she  wheeled  ponder 
ously,  and  started  to  go. 

Mat  had  drawn  back  in  alarm,  but  Jimmy  was 
quick  to  interfere.  He  laid  a  restraining  hand  on 
her  arm.  "  Wait !  Wait,  Mrs.  Casey !  "  he  begged. 

His  voice  was  earnest,  and  Mrs.  Casey  was  im 
pressed.  "  Wait,  a  minute,"  he  went  on.  "  I  wasn't 
foolin'  you  about  wantin'  you — about  Mat  wantin' 
you  to  get  those  dresses.  It's  all  right  enough,  and 
th'  dresses  are  to  be  expensive.  Just  as  expensive  as 
you  can  think  of.  And  here's  th'  address  of  th' 
dressmaker."  He  put  a  piece  of  paper  into  her  hand, 
and  stepped  back. 

Mrs.  Casey  read  what  was  written  on  the  paper. 
It  conveyed  little  information  to  her  sorely  beset 
brain,  but  she  accepted  it  as  evidence  that  this  was 
not  all  a  joke.  She  looked  at  Mat  sternly,  as  if  she 
would  wrench  from  him  the  full  meaning  of  what 
had  happened;  but,  learning  nothing  from  his 
still  anxious  countenance,  she  turned  a  quizzical 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  175 

glance  on  Jimmy.  "  An'  whin  am  I  t' .  go  t'  this 
drissmaker  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  This  afternoon  or  to-morrow,  if  you  please/' 
said  Jimmy.  "  She  doesn't  know  you're  coming, 
but  she'll  be  all  ready,  I  dare  say."  He  paused,  then 
added  emphatically,  "  But  be  sure  and  don't  say 
anything  about  it  being  a  bet,  or  mention  my  name. 
She  might  think  it  was  a  joke — like  you  did;  and  it 
ain't  a  joke.  I'll  give  Mat  enough  money  so  she  can 
— so  you  can  make  a  cash  deposit  on  the  job.  I'll 
give  Mat  th'  rest  of  th'  money  when  you  find  out 
what  th'  dresses  cost.  And  don't  forget  they  're  to 
be  expensive.  That  was  part  of  th'  bet,  and  I  always 
play  fair, — don't  I  Mat?  " 

Mat  vigorously  agreed,  thankful  to  be  out  of  what 
had  promised  to  be  trouble  for  him.  He  reserved 
for  another  time  the  task  of  trying  to  make  the  con 
nections  between  the  various  parts  of  Jimmy's  story. 

And  now  Mrs.  Casey  radiated  joy.  Her  practical 
mind  had  refused  at  first  to  allow  her  to  believe  in 
this  astounding  good  luck;  but,  once  she  was  con 
vinced  that  it  was  genuine,  her  feminine  weakness 
revealed  itself. 

"  May  th'  divil  thet  timpted  y'  t'  make  that  bit 
soon  grow  th'  wings  av  a  saint?"  she  declared. 
"  May  there  be  a  good  mark  put  agin  y'r  name  fur 
th'  same!  Blissed  be  th'  thought  that  whishpered 
t'  y'  t'  say  't  should  be  drisses  y'd  bit !  Wait  till  y' 
say  me!  Wait  till  y'  say  th'  drisses  I'll  be  afther 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  176 

gittin' !  Expinsive  they  're  t'  be !  An'  't  's  th'  same 
they  will  be!  Mat!  Mat!  whin  y'  say  me  in  thim, 
y'll  be  sayin'  that  't  wuz  me  good  tashte  y'  married 
me  fur  more  thin  anything  ilse!  Now,  hivin  be 
praised!  but  I'll  make  Mrs.  Reilly  move  out  av  th' 
block  wid  invy  av  me.  Misther  Divilin!  Misther 
Divilin !  but  y're  a  swate  man !  An'  't  's  no  wander, 
at  all,  at  all,  thet  't  's  a  boss  y'  be  whin  y'r  heart's  in 
y'r  head,  and  y'r  eyes  's  on  th'  ladies !  May  a  goose 
berry  skhin  cover  all  av  y'r  woes,  an'  may  y'  live  t' 
say  y'r  childer's  childer  a  rockin'  cradles !  "  And, 
with  that,  Mrs.  Casey  backed  out  of  the  room,  and 
Jimmy  and  Mat  exchanged  looks. 

"Whist!  's  't,— 's  't  all  sthraight?"  asked  Casey 
in  a  whisper. 

"  As  straight  as  can  be,"  answered  Jimmy. 

Casey  drew  in  a  tremendous  breath.  "  Saint 
Pathrick  be  glorified!"  he  exclaimed.  "Fur  't's 
not  th'  thruth  I'd  be  hidin'  frum  you.  'F  shlip  there 
had  bin  in  thet  drissmakin'  talk,  't  's  crape  'd  be 
hangin'  at  th'  dure  av  me  barroom  b'fore  night." 

Jimmy  walked  out  of  the  house  laughing;  and,  a 
few  blocks  further  on,  turned  in  at  the  door  of  a 
real  estate  contractor's  office.  Exactly  what  went 
on  in  there  only  the  real  estate  man  and  Jimmy  ever 
learned,  but  this  much  at  least  one  other  person  soon 
came  to  know.  The  monthly  rental  of  a  certain 
house  in  a  row  not  far  away  was  reduced  by  five 
dollars  from  that  day;  while,  before  evening  closed 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  177 

down,  a  painter  and  a  paper-hanger  had  "  hurry 
orders  "  to  visit  that  same  house  for  specified  pur 
poses. 

With  such  weighty  business  was  Jimmy's  morn 
ing  consumed;  and  early  afternoon  saw  him  again 
in  the  little  back  office  in  his  accustomed  seat.  Once 
there,  it  seemed  that  the  spirit  of  frivolity  which 
obtruded  itself  on  the  serious  transactions  before 
noon  was  whisked  away  from  him.  He  became 
silent  and  contemplative,  and,  for  half  an  hour,  sat 
at  his  desk  alone,  drumming  on  its  top  with  a  paper- 
cutter,  «and,  now  and  again,  looking  at  his  watch 
with  a  plain  expression  of  disapproval,  while  he  bit 
savagely  on  an  unlighted  cigar. 

He  waited  for  a  crisis  which  he  knew  was  upon 
him  and  which  he  would  have  given  a  great  deal  to 
avoid. 

So,  even  while  he  scowled  and  wrestled  with  the 
questions  involved,  the  door  opened,  and  the  cause 
of  his  discontent  entered  in  the  shape  of  Ed  Walsh 
— Walsh,  as  tall  and  slender  and  well  dressed  as 
when,  years  before,  he  had  stood  by  Jimmy  because 
it  suited  his  immediate  purposes;  Walsh,  one  of  the 
Three  Czars;  Walsh,  whose  gold  eye-glasses  made 
his  eyes  seem  colder  and  more  calculating  than  ever ; 
whose  muscles  had  hard  work  to  straighten  the  hard 
lines  of  a  supercilious  mouth. 

Walsh  said  "  Hello !  "  and  Jimmy  looked  at  him. 
The  scowl  was  gone  from  Jimmy's  face.  He  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  178 

smiling  now.     He  pushed  back  his  chair  from  the 
desk. 

"  Going  up  th'  street?  "  he  asked. 

"  No/'  answered  Walsh.  "  I  came  here  to  talk  to 
you,  and  I  want  you  to  stay." 

"  It's  not  important,  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  is,"  responded  Walsh.  "  I  tried  to  find  you 
yesterday  afternoon.  You  had  an  engagement  with 
me,  you  may  remember?  " 

"  I  know,"  said  Jimmy.  "  But,  th'  fact  is,  I  had 
some  personal  business.  It  wouldn't  be  put  off.  I'm 
sorry." 

"That's  all  right,"  replied  Walsh.  "But,  now 
that  I  have  found  you,  I  must  talk  with  you.  My 
business  is  personal,  too;  and  it  won't  be  put  off, 
either." 

Jimmy  sat  down.  His  face  said  that  he  was  all 
eagerness  to  hear  what  the  other  "  Czar  "  had  to 
say. 

Welsh's  eyes  were  studying  him,  but  failed  to  de 
tect  as  much  as  the  quiver  of  an  eyelid.  So  he  took 
off  his  coat,  wondering  if  Jimmy  was  as  unconscious 
of  his  errand  as  appearances  indicated;  and  then, 
suddenly  wheeling  around,  he  shot  out,  "  Jimmy,  I 
want  to  be  Sheriff !  " 

Jimmy  lay  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed.  "  Ed, 
you  really  had  me  guessin  and  worried,  too, — for 
a  moment,"  he  explained. 

"Haven't  I  made  myself  clear?"  asked  Walsh. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  179 

"  I  thought  I  had.  It  seems  to  me  you  might  take  it 
seriously." 

"  Oh,  it's  serious  enough,"  answered  Jimmy. 
"  But,  you  see,  I  thought  you  meant  something  right 
at  hand.  And  you've  got — why,  you've  got  five 
years  to  work  up  this  Sheriff  business." 

"Have  I?"  said  Walsh  coolly.  "Well,  I  guess 
not.  I've  just  got  time  to  work  into  line  for  th' 
place.  November  ain't  so  far  off." 

"  No-vem-ber !  "  ejaculated  Jimmy.  Then  he 
pulled  himself  up.  "Say,  Ed,  what's  th'  joke?" 
His  expression  was  that  of  overwhelming  astonish 
ment,  lightened  suddenly  by  a  realization  that  he 
had  taken  a  jest  for  fact. 

"  There's  no  joke  at  all,"  returned  Walsh.  Then, 
seeing  that  the  thing  had  come  to  a  head  and  that 
Jimmy  sincerely  or  not,  would  have  him  believe  this 
proposition  incredible,  he  drew  his  chair  closer,  and 
added,  "  I  said  what  I  meant.  November — this 
November !  I  want  to  be  Sheriff." 

Jimmy's  face  instantly  was  serious.  "  Ed,"  he 
said,  "  If  this  ain't  a  joke,  it  comes  very  near  it.  A 
pretty  bad  sort  of  a  joke,  too ;  for,  you  know  as  well 
as  I  do,  that  th'  place  is  promised  already." 

"Yes,"  replied  Walsh.  "To  Johnson?  Well, 
Johnson  has  got  to  go  overboard;  that's  all." 

"  But  you  surely  don't  understand.  I've  told  him 
he  should  have  th'  nomination.  And  there's  another 
reason.  You  know  what  that  is." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  180 

Yes,  Walsh  knew  of  that  too.  There  had  been 
a  bargain  made.  The  minority  party  wanted  some 
thing  very  much  which  was  within  Jimmy's  gift. 
Jimmy  was  willing  to  hand  it  over — for  a  considera 
tion.  Endorsement  of  Johnson's  candidacy  was  his 
price.  The  minority  party,  whose  prospective  candi 
date's  claims  for  the  place  were  hopeless,  agreed.  It 
had  promised  to  put  Johnson  on  its  ticket,  and  sup 
port  him.  Walsh  realized  the  weight  of  the  argu 
ment  advanced  by  this  situation,  but  was  unshaken 
in  his  resolve.  "  Let  'em  go  ahead  and  support 
Johnson,"  he  said.  "  One  opposition  candidate  is 
no  worse  than  another  in  this  case.  We  can  elect 
our  man,  if  we  stand  together." 

"  We  need  their  help,"  protested  Jimmy. 

"  No,  we  don't." 

"  And  you  knew  about  Johnson  from  th'  start. 
Oh!  come;  this  is  a  joke?  " 

Walsh  shook  his  head.  "  What's  the  matter,  any 
way  ?  "  he  replied.  "  Can't  you  understand  it's 
sober  earnest?  And,  as  to  my  saying  nothing  to 
you  before  this — well, — I  changed  my  mind.  I 
want  th'  nomination,  and — I  expect  you  to  give  it 
to  me.  It's  owing  to  me.  Now,  look  here !  " 

There  Walsh  entered  on  a  detailed  statement  of 
his  chances  and  plans,  all  of  which  were  perfectly 
familiar  to  Jimmy,  though  he  listened  to  them  now 
as  if  he  heard  them  for  the  first  time.  Walsh  urged 
the  need  of  sacrificing  something  to  the  reform  ele- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  181 

ment.  Joseph  Cans,  Brady's  old  patron,  had  re 
volted  some  time  before  from  his  party,  and  now 
was  President  of  the  Citizens'  League — an  aggres 
sive,  indefatigable  fighter  for  all  his  quick  temper. 
The  league  was  growing  stronger  every  day.  John 
son  was  particularly  objectionable  to  the  reformers. 
Therefore,  the  discarding  of  Johnson  would  be  a 
wise  move  all  round,  Walsh  argued. 

"  And  you? "  said  Jimmy.  "  You  are  a  re 
former,  Ed?" 

"  I  stand  better  with  the  reformers  than  Johnson 
ever  could,"  retorted  Walsh  quickly. 

Jimmy  admitted  as  much  to  himself.  He  knew 
that  Walsh  had  always  professed  to  the  reformers 
that  his  political  concessions  to  Jimmy  had  been 
made  unwillingly.  Whenever  Jimmy  was  for  re 
warding  the  faithful  allegiance  of  some  worker  who 
was  in  bad  odor  with  the  reformers,  it  was  Walsh, 
as  he  was  perfectly  aware,  who  took  pains  to 
let  the  reformers  know  that  he  repudiated  all 
responsibility  for  the  proposed  action.  But  Jimmy 
said  nothing  of  this  to  Walsh  or  to  anyone  else. 
There  were  things  which  it  was  wisest  to  remember 
in  silence  until  the  hour  of  action  was  come.  He 
countenanced  these  workers  in  lowly  places  for 
obvious  reasons.  Privately  he  was  of  the  opinion 
that  a  little  dirt  must  stick  to  the  fingers  of  those  who 
labor  where  soil  is  plentiful.  Nor  did  he  think  that 
this  should  disqualify  them  when  pay  day  came. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  182 

Johnson's  was  a  case  in  point.  Jimmy's  promise 
was  given  to  Johnson.  This  fact  he  pressed  upon 
Walsh's  attention  again  and  again.  For  every  claim 
that  Walsh  made  he  had  an  objection  or  counter 
claim  in  Johnson's  behalf.  So,  for  an  hour,  the  ar 
gument  went  on.  It  was  a  struggle  from  which 
Showell  had  purposely  held  himself  aloof;  it  had 
been  in  the  air  for  months.  And  now,  as  both  of 
these  men  knew,  it  must  be  fought  to  a  conclusion. 

But,  after  a  long  time,  the  dispute  came  back  to 
its  starting  point.  "  I  want  th'  place,  and  you  can 
give  it  to  me,"  was  Walsh's  statement. 

"  The  nomination,  you  mean,"  said  Jimmy. 

"  It's  th'  same  thing,"  asserted  Walsh. 

"  No,  it  isn't.  We've  a  fight  on  our  hands.  It'll 
be  a  toss-up  if  we  can  get  Johnson  in.  With  you — ?  " 
Jimmy  shook  his  head. 

"  With  me,  it's  certain,"  rejoined  Walsh. 

Jimmy  continued  to  shake  his  head.  "  Look 
here,  Ed,"  he  said  suddenly.  "  I  can  give  you  that 
nomination,  but  you  don't  want  it.  You  wouldn't 
be  elected,  and — " 

Walsh  gave  a  sniff  of  impatience.  "Come! 
come !  "  he  said. 

"  You  won't  be  elected,"  continued  Jimmy  stead 
ily.  "  I  never  lied  to  you.  Won't  you  believe  me  ?  " 

"  I'll  believe  nothing — this  time.  I  want  that 
nomination." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  183 

"  Ed,"  said  Jimmy,  "  have  you  forgotten  what 
comes  a  year  from  November  ?  " 

"  My  salary — as  usual — as  Sheriff,"  retorted 
Walsh  with  forced  levity. 

"  We  make  a  President  then,"  returned  Jimmy 
gravely.  "  And  it's  to  our  interest  to  have  the  party 
lines  straight  and  strong  in  this  city  at  that  time." 

"Well?" 

"  Well,  we've  got  to  watch  close  to  do  it.  I  was 
talking  to  Senator  Corson  th'  other  day.  He  says 
there's  a  rumpus  brewing  up  state.  I  don't  freeze  to 
Corson  always,  as  you  know ;  but  I  think  he's  right 
on  this.  It  may  be  th'  state  will  turn,  in  th'  National 
convention,  on  th'  vote  in  this  city.  It's  happened  be 
fore." 

"What  of  that?" 

"  Just  this.  If  we  should  fall  down  on  a  big 
city  election  in  November  we'll " 

"  You  mean  on  Sheriff?     If  I'm  put  up?  " 

"  Yes." 

Walsh  snapped  his  fingers.  "  What's  come  over 
you?  "  he  said  petulantly.  "  I'll  slip  into  th'  Sher 
iff's  office  so  easy " 

"  That  you'll  never  stop  till  you've  dropped  out 
th'  window.  I  say  again,  Ed — you  won't  be  elected. 
Remember  what  I'm  saying  right  now."  There  was 
something  in  Jimmy's  face  which  should  have  en 
lightened  Walsh.  Jimmy  was  hopeful  that  he  would 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  184 

see  it.  But  he  did  not  see  it,  so  set  was  he  on 
his  purpose. 

"Rot!"  he  exclaimed.  "Rot!  Do  I  get  that 
nomination  or  not?  It  lies  with  you.  Give  me  th' 
nomination,  and  I'll  see  to  th'  rest.  Th'  nomina 
tion's  all  I  ask  you  for." 

Jimmy  leaned  back  in  his  chair;  his  eyes  were 
fixed  on  Walsh.  "  All  right,"  he  answered.  "  I'll 
tell  you  what  I'll  do — th'  day  after  to-morrow." 

With  that  promise  Walsh  went  away  half  an  hour 
later.  And  the  day  but  one  following  he  got  his 
answer;  and  it  was  a  promise  that  he  should  have 
the  nomination  of  the  party  for  the  office  of  Sheriff. 

But  the  last  words  Jimmy  said  to  him  were, 
"  Ed,  you  won't  be  elected,  I'm  afraid !  You  don't 
want  to  forget  that  I  said  so, — now !  " 


CHAPTER  IX  185 

4CTT1T  THAT,  you  here  again?"  Jimmy  looked 
V^  UP  fr°m  ms  office  desk,  and  choked 
back  the  wrath  which  surged  in  his 
breast  at  the  sight  of  Marcus's  sleek  figure.  He 
knew  what  Marcus  had  come  for.  He  came  only 
when  he  had  decided  on  something  which  he  wanted. 
He  applied  the  screw  without  regard  to  the  difficulty 
of  procuring  what  he  want'ed.  He  cared  not  how 
often  he  came.  He  was  quite  aware  of  his  hold  on 
Jimmy.  The  experiences  of  the  several  months 
which  had  elapsed  since  he  made  that  significant 
secret  announcement  to  Jimmy  had  demonstrated 
this  to  his  satisfaction.  Only  the  habitual  laziness 
which  disinclined  Marcus  to  do  more  than  was  nec 
essary  to  provide  th£  money  which  he  spent  so  lav 
ishly  on  everyone  but  Kate  and  Jack,  restrained  him 
from  asking  for  more  than  he  did. 

Fortunately  for  Jimmy  the  fulfillment  of  the  con 
tracts  which  Marcus  demanded  and  secured  required 
a  certain  amount  of  work  on  his  part;  and  Marcus 
was  not  such  a  fool  as  to  fail  to  make  a  show  of 
doing  this  work.  He  knew  that  not  even  Jimmy 
would  long  have  contracts  to  award,  if  the  con- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  186 

tractor  to  whom  he  gave  them  did  nothing  but  ac 
cept  the  pay.  There  are  limits  to  the  patience  and 
pocketbooks  of  even  a  well  disciplined  proletariat. 
Marcus  did  just  as  little  as  he  was  compelled  to  do. 
When  the  profits  from  one  of  these  jobs  was  gone, 
he  walked  into  Jimmy's  office,  and  told  him  he 
wanted  something  more. 

He  did  this  with  such  assurance  and  unconcern 
that  Jimmy  had  a  struggle  with  himself  each  time. 
Nothing  about  Marcus  irritated  him  as  did  this  care 
less  assumption.  His  own  helplessness  only  made  it 
the  more  difficult  to  swallow.  But  he  was  tied,  hand 
and  foot,  as  it  were,  and  he  knew  it;  and  Marcus 
regarded  his  efforts  at  self-control  with  an  amused 
patience  which  rubbed  in  the  humiliation. 

To-day  Marcus  wanted  a  contract;  and  got  it,  or 
rather  the  promise  that  he  should  have  it.  But 
Jimmy  could  not  smother  his  choler  entirely. 

"  You  want  to  be  careful,"  he  said.  "  There's 
such  a  thing  as  goin'  too  far.  There's  such  a 
thing  as  blackmail,  too!  Maybe,  you've  forgotten 
that?" 

Marcus  could  not  restrain  a  start.  He  had  not 
thought  of  blackmail.  Perhaps,  Jimmy  might  be 
able  to  fix  that  on  him.  And  all  the  trouble  which 
he  might  bring  on  Jimmy  in  retaliation  would  not 
clear  him  (Marcus)  before  a  jury,  if  brought  up 
on  such  a  charge.  His  sallow  face  whitened.  For 
just  an  instant  he  cowered  before  the  man  whom 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  187 

he  had  humbled  a  score  of  times  that  summer.  Then, 
suddenly,  he  remembered  something,  and  his  face 
cleared,  and  he  threw  back  his  head,  and  laughed. 

"That's  rich!"  he  said.  "I'm  not  afraid  of 
blackmail.  There's  reasons  why.  You  wouldn't 
want  to  bring  a  case  of  blackmail  into  court  against 
me;  now,  would  you?  " 

Jimmy  had  not  fired  that  shot  with  any  real  hope 
that  it  would  be  effective.  He  knew  that,  at  best, 
it  was  a  paper  bullet  which  might  frighten  Marcus 
for  the  time  being,  but  would  not  cripple  him.  He 
realized  that  it  had  been  a  foolish  thing  to  do. 
Marcus's  next  words  made  this  plain. 

"  And  don't  you  get  worked  up  over  these  little 
things  you've  been  puttin'  in  my  way !  "  he  warned. 
"If  you  kick  too  much  I'll  get  grumpy,  and  make 
you  hand  over  something  big.  I'm  awful  easy  to 
get  along  with  when  you  don't  rub  me  th'  wrong 
way.  But, — well,  don't  lose  your  temper,  that's 
all!" 

He  picked  up  his  hat,  and  said,  "  Good  Morning." 
His  complacent  tone  made  Jimmy's  blood  boil. 

Marcus  himself  was  so  elated  over  this  latest 
humiliation  of  Jimmy  that  he  bragged  of  it  in  a 
vague  sort  of  way  to  Kate  that  night.  It  was  es 
pecially  gratifying  to  him  to  do  this,  because  of 
Kate's  admiration  of  Jimmy,  which,  though  un 
spoken,  did  not  escape  his  attention.  But  he  was 
too  cunning  to  be  tempted  into  a  statement  which 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  188 

should  excite  her  alarm.  He  was  properly  appre 
hensive  of  any  confidence  which  she  might  be  led 
into  making  to  Jimmy,  if  she  suspected  that  he 
was  under  compulsion.  Marcus  believed,  with  good 
reason,  that,  whatever  she  might  know  of  Jimmy's 
gifts  to  him,  she  attributed  these  to  Jimmy's  volun 
tary  sympathy  for  herself  and  Jack.  And  he  did 
all  he  could  in  a  negative  way  to  encourage  her  in 
this  belief. 

The  effect  of  his  disclosure  to  Jimmy  had  been 
to  keep  Kate  and  Jimmy  apart  for  several  months. 
His  earlier  conversation  with  Kate  regarding 
Jimmy's  visits  to  the  house  had  contributed  to  the 
same  end.  But  it  was  not  his  idea  to  have  this 
separation  continue.  Therefore,  while  he  said 
nothing  more  to  Kate  which  should  make  her  draw 
away  from  Jimmy,  he  was  shrewd  enough  not  to 
urge  her  to  see  the  latter.  He  allowed  time  and 
the  friendship  of  the  two  to  bring  them  together. 
When  this  happened  he  made  no  allusion  to  it.  He 
disarmed  Kate's  suspicions.  She  was  soon  ready  to 
believe  that  Marcus's  aversion  to  Jimmy  had  be 
come  little  more  than  indifference. 

Kate  herself  had  not  been  so  happy  since  the 
early  years  of  her  married  life.  Marcus  seldom 
came  near  her  and  had  little  to  say  when  he  did. 
Already  she  had  grown  to  think  of  this  as  a  bless 
ing.  Her  love  for  him  had  been  so  often  humbled 
that  her  pride  refused  to  be  its  ally.  His 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  189 

brutally  outspoken  remarks  about  Jimmy's  feelings 
toward  her  had  filled  in  the  measure  of  her  disgust. 
She  looked  forward  to  her  life  with  Jack;  and  be 
cause  of  this,  at  times,  was  almost  content  with  what 
was.  She  found  that  it  was  a  good  plan  not  to  look 
back. 

She  was  busy,  and  she  was  independent  of  Mar 
cus  as  far  as  money  went.  That  brass  sign  on  the 
front  window  had  been  a  charm.  Its  allurements, 
apparently,  were  not  to  be  resisted.  First  had  come 
the  softening  of  the  landlord's  heart  with  regard  to 
the  rent  of  the  house,  and,  next,  his  remarkable 
diligence  in  papering  and  painting  the  house  anew. 
Then,  came  the  trade  which  the  brass  sign  adver 
tised.  The  van  of  customers  was  led  by  Mrs.  Casey. 
Her  mammoth  proportions  Kate  had  viewed  with 
dismay,  and  her  presence  and  speech  tried  her 
gravity  sorely  until  she  learned  that  the  vanity  of 
Mrs.  Casey  was  all  contained  in  the  frankly  ex 
pressed  hope  of,  "  shamin'  Mrs.  Reilly  an'  satisfyin' 
th'  criticul  tashtes  av  Misther  Casey." 

After  that  Kate  laughed  with  Mrs.  Casey,  and 
they  became  confederates  in  the  double  conspiracy. 
To  be  sure,  she  made  a  desperate  and  partly  success 
ful  fight  against  embodying  all  of  the  hues  of  rain 
bow  and  every  kind  of  material  and  trimmings  in 
the  two  wonderful  dresses.  But  that  was  an  inci 
dent  which  ended  amiably;  and,  thereafter,  their 
agreement  was  complete. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  190 

Mrs.  Casey  wanted  "  color  "  in  her  gowns,  and 
she  got  it.  She  wanted  "  expensiveness,"  and  she 
got  that,  too.  The  result  was  gorgeous.  Yet  Kate 
gave  a  little,  wry  smile  when  Mrs.  Casey  donned  the 
gowns  for  a  final  inspection,  and,  like  a  peacock, 
trailed  up  and  down  the  sitting  room,  exclaiming: 
"Oh,  my!  Oh  my!  T  's  this  will  be  th'  death 
av  Mrs.  Reilly!  T  's  a  birrud  a  Paradishe  Oi 
am,  Mrs.  Doran !  An'  thet's  no  lie,  at  all,  at  all !  " 

Kate  cogitated  much  on  the  subject  of  Mrs. 
Casey.  The  latter 's  apparent  recklessness  in  refer 
ence  to  the  cost  of  dresses  was,  somehow,  not  in  con 
sonance  with  the  other  glimpses  she  got  of  Mrs. 
Casey's  character,  upbringing  and  present  life. 
Moreover,  it  was  most  curious,  she  realized,  that 
Mrs.  Casey  should  have  come  to  her  for  her  new 
gowns  when  there  was  a  multitude  of  widely  known 
dressmakers.  But  Mrs.  Casey  could  be  uncommuni 
cative  when  she  saw  fit ;  and  Kate  was  left  to  supply 
her  own  explanation  in  the  case  O'f  her  customer  as 
in  the  cases  of  those  many  other  seemingly  strange 
things  which  followed. 

The  most  she  could  be  absolutely  sure  of  was  that 
Jimmy  was  a  prophet  and  knew  a  little  about  the 
market  for  fine  sewing.  Truly,  politics  was  an  all- 
embracing  occupation !  She  took  Jack  into  her  con 
fidence  in  a  general  way,  yet  instinctively  refrained 
from  being  particular  as  to  causes.  That  was  odd, 
too,  she  realized ;  for,  of  course,  she  should  have  no 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  191 

secrets  of  this  kind  from  Jack.  Jack,  to  her,  repre 
sented  all  that  was  brightest  in  her  home,  and  the 
proud  hours  to  come  as  well.  She  believed  that  her 
ideals  of  Marcus  in  earlier  years  would  be  retrieved 
in  the  successes  of  Jack's  manhood. 

Jack  gave  reason  for  the  belief.  He  was  industri 
ous,  quick  of  apprehension,  and  of  good  address.  At 
the  Bank  they  thought  a  great  deal  of  him,  as  she 
discovered  from  the  admissions  he  made  when  he 
came  home  particularly  happy.  His  salary  had  been 
increased ;  already,  he  was  promised  an  advancement 
in  position.  These  successes  were  sweet  to-  Kate; 
Jack's  triumphs  seemed  quite  as  much  hers  as  his. 
They  were  doubly  gratifying  when  Jimmy  told  her 
that  Jack  had  earned  his  advancement;  for,  she 
knew,  Jimmy  always  said  what  he  meant.  And, 
aside  from  an  occasional  word  of  advice  or  com 
mendation,  he  declared,  that  lie  had  given  Jack  no 
aid. 

"  That's  th'  only  safe  way,"  said  Jimmy.  "  A 
house  propped-up  is  dangerous  to  everybody  near- 
by." 

Jack's  manner  seemed  quite  in  keeping  with  this 
doctrine  of  independence.  He  developed  a  confi 
dence  that,  to  Kate,  was  an  augury  of  achievement. 
He  was  changing  so  quickly  from  boy  to  man  that 
she  was  reaching  out  a  hand,  as  it  were,  to  steady  his 
steps  long  after  he  told  her,  "  Oh,  mother !  don't 
worry  about  me  so.  I'm  getting  along  all  right.  I've 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  192 

got  to  learn  things  for  myself.  You  don't  want  me 
to  be  a  molly-coddle." 

No,  she  did  not  want  that,  she  acknowledged; 
therefore,  she  began  to  train  herself  to  see  him  go 
out  when  he  chose  without  plying  him  with  anx 
ious  questions  and  cautions.  Jack  was  right,  she 
assured  herself.  He  must  try  his  wings  unassisted, 
or  he  would  never  be  strong.  Strength  was  what 
she  most  admired  in  a  man.  A  new  pride  in  him 
grew  up  alongside  of  the  tender  love  which  had 
sought  only  to  shelter  and  guide  him. 

One  day  in  October  he  announced  to  her, 
"  Mother,  I've  got  an  invitation  to  make  a  call  to 
night  with  one  of  the  men  at  the  Bank." 

"With  Mr.  Rowell?"  asked  Kate.  Jack  talked 
much  of  him.  Rowell  was  his  senior,  and,  from  all 
she  could  learn,  was  the  sort  she  was  glad  to  have 
Jack  go  with.  Twice  he  had  come  home  with  Jack. 
He  was  of  blood  quite  different  from  herself,  she 
realized  at  once.  To  have  him  for  Jack's  companion, 
therefore,  pleased  her  when  she  found  that  he  was 
a  gentleman  in  instincts  and  manner  as  well  as 
position. 

"Yes,  with  Rowell,"  Jack  answered.  "He's 
taken  a  shine  to  me.  To-day  he  asked  me  to  come 
with  him  to  meet  his  cousin.  She's " 

If  there  is  a  sixth  sense  it  surely  has  its  highest 
development  in  a  mother's  heart.  Kate's  heart 
throbbed  a  message  to  her  now.  She  could  not 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  193 

translate  it  literally;  it  found  stumbling  expression 
in  her  quick  interrogation,  "  So,  Mr.  Rowell's  cousin 
is  a  girl?" 

"  Of  course,"  answered  Jack  frankly;  "  why 
shouldn't  she  be  a  girl?  "  Then  that  boyish  shame 
of  being  detected  in  seeking  a  girl's  company,  a  shame 
which  soon  forgets  to  blush  and  stammer  and  de 
clares  itself  proudly,  made  him  color  and  add  con 
fusedly,  "  You  see,  I've  got  to  go  with  him.  He's 
kept  at  me  and  at  me  to  meet  his  cousin.  So,  really, 
I'd  better  go  and  be  through  with  it." 

The  explanation  was  specious.  Kate  smiled. 
"Who  is  his  cousin?  What  is  her  name?"  she 
asked. 

"Miss  Struthers— at  least,  I  think,  that's  her 
name.  Yes,  that  was  it — Molly  Struthers." 

"  It's  a  pretty  name,"  said  Kate,  for  lack  of  some 
thing  better  to  say.  She  had  never  heard  of  Miss 
Struthers  before. 

"  Oh,  all  girls'  names  are  alike,"  he  remarked 
with  airy  scorn. 

Kate  laughed,  but  she  said  nothing  more.  Nor 
did  she  ask  him  in  the  morning  how  he  had  enjoyed 
his  call.  Several  times  at  the  breakfast  table  he 
opened  his  lips  as  if  to  make  a  confidence,  and  closed 
them  as  often  as  he  found  his  mother  looking  at  him. 

That  night  he  came  out  quite  abruptly,  "  Mother, 
did  you  ever  hear  of  a  man  named  Chambers — 
William  M.  Chambers?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  194 

Kate  had  a  faint  recollection  of  having  read  the 
name  in  the  newspapers,  but  she  could  not  place  it. 
"  I've  heard  of  it,  I  think,"  she  said.  "  Why?  " 

"  I  met  him  the  other  night,"  Jack  replied.  "  He's 
Vice-President  of  the  Central  Railroad,  you  know. 
He's  a  mighty  fine  man." 

"  Where  did  you  meet  him  ?  " 

"Oh,  didn't  I  tell  you?  At  Miss  Struthers'. 
He's  her  uncle.  She's  an  orphan.  She  lives  with 
him  and  her  aunt.  She's  slender  and  has  dark 
brown,  silky  hair.  She's  got  a  pretty  nose.  And 
her  eyes  are  awfully  soft,  but  she  always  seems  to  be 
laughing.  It's  funny — for  a  girl,"  he  finished 
lamely. 

"  But  Mr.  Chambers?  What  about  him?  " 

"  Why,  I  was  going  to  say — he's  a  big  man  with 
a  deep  voice.  He  thinks  she's  about  the  nicest  thing 
there  is.  She's  lived  with  him  a  long  time,  you  see. 
She  is  just  the  same  as  his  daughter — if  he  had  one. 
She's  just  out  of  school.  You  ought  to  see  the  dress 
she  had  on  the  other  night.  It  was — a  dandy.  She 
was  very  nice;  I  felt  as  if  she  was  an  old  friend  of 
mine.  She's  like  a — fellow, — understands  all — Oh, 
you  know  what  I  mean,  don't  you?  She  isn't  a  bit 
like  a  girl — she — I — "  There  he  broke  down.  His 
mother  was  regarding  him  with  distracting  fixity. 
He  suddenly  decided  that  he  would  be  late  for  some 
important  engagement. 

What  Kate  thought  of  all  this  she  never  told. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  195 

But,  for  half  an  hour  after  he  had  left  the  room,  she 
sat  with  hands  idle  in  her  lap,  trying  to  learn  the 
lesson  with  which  some  mothers  never  concern  them 
selves,  but  which  it  costs  most  mothers  a  pang  to 
master. 

One  evening  a  couple  of  weeks  later,  seeing  Jack 
pass  the  sitting  room  door  on  his  way  out,  she  called 
to  him.  He  came  in,  a  little  reluctantly,  she  thought. 
But  this  was  fully  explained  when  she  saw  that  he 
was  dressed  in  his  best  clothes  and  wore  a  new 
pair  of  gloves.  "  Going  out  for  a  little  while  to 
see — a  friend,"  he  hastened  to  explain. 

"  He  seems  to  be  particular  how  you  dress,"  she 
remarked  mischievously. 

"  Y-e-s,"  he  admitted. 

"  I  wish  you'd  bring  Mr.  Rowell  to  call  on  me. 
Ask  him — when  you  see  him  this  evening,  won't 
you  ?  "  she  pursued. 

"  I — I  won't — that  is  I  don't  believe,  I'll  see  him 
this  evening." 

"  Oh,  I  thought  you  would  see  him — at  Mr. 
Chambers'.  Well,  maybe,  Miss  Struthers  will  give 
him  my  invitation.  Ask  her,  will  you  ?  " 

For  a  moment  Jack  tried  to  bluff  it  out.  But  his 
face  burned  and  his  mother's  eyes  were  laughing. 
"  Oh — Mother! "  he  exclaimed,  and  bolted. 

Privately,  he  wondered  if  all  women  had  as  keen 
vision  as  his  mother.  Did  Miss  Struthers  see 
through  him  so  easily  ?  He  was  concerned.  She  had 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  196 

asked  him  to  call  on  the  occasion  of  his  second  visit 
in  Rowell's  company;  but  she  had  mentioned  no 
time.  He  had  supplied  the  omission  to  suit  his 
own  desires.  First,  he  inquired  of  Rowell  if  he  was 
going  to  call  on  his  cousin  on  a  particular  evening; 
and,  the  reply  being  satisfactory  to  Jack,  the  latter 
made  a  toilet  such,  as  he  confessed  to  himself,  he 
had  never  made  before.  Yet  it  was  with  some 
misgivings  that  he  found  himself  in  the  drawing 
room  at  Mr.  Chambers's  house. 

But  he  need  have  anticipated  no  discomfort,  as 
he  realized  when  Miss  Struthers  entered  tire  room. 
She  came  forward  with  outstretched  hand  and  a 
smile  so  genial  that  he  felt  at  ease  at  once,  and  his 
admiration  grew. 

The  description  with  which  Jack  had  supplied  his 
mother  did  Miss  Struthers  an  injustice  in  at  least 
two  particulars.  One  of  these  was  her  eyes  which 
were  tender  and  deep  for  all  their  mischievous 
sparkle;  the  other  was  her  voice  which  was  ex 
tremely  low  and  musical.  Molly  Struthers  was  a 
girl  who  understood  enough  of  her  feminine  charm 
not  to  neglect  it.  She  was  quick-witted  and  a  tease. 
She  could  have  been  the  belle  of  her  set  with  a  little 
more  art.  She  was  never  likely  to  be  all  which  that 
name  commonly  implies  because  of  her  frankness 
when  offended  and  because  of  the  sound  yet  some 
what  uncompromising  views  of  her  aunt  and 
uncle. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  197 

Mr.  Chambers  was  a  college  graduate  by  force  of 
his  own  industry  and  sacrifices.  He  had  lifted  him 
self  to  the  responsible  position  which  he  held  with 
the  Central  Railroad  by  untiring  energy  through  a 
long  term  of  years  and  by  faithfulness.  He  was  a 
democrat  of  democrats  in  his  ideals.  His  wife  was 
a  gentlewoman  of  quiet  tastes  and  an  intense  admira 
tion  for  her  husband.  They  were  as  one  in  their  love 
for  their  niece  and  in  their  desire  that  she  should 
have  all  which  their  wealth  and  unequivocal  position 
in  the  community  could  furnish  her — within  the 
bounds  set  by  what  they  regarded  as  her  own  wel 
fare  and  happiness.  From  her  childhood  they  had 
taught  her  to  estimate  those  she  met  In  accordance 
with  the  dictates  of  her  heart.  As  a  result,  at  eighteen 
Molly  was  liked  by  everyone  who  knew  her,  and 
knew  not  a  few  persons  at  whom  some  of  her  ac 
quaintances  turned  up  their  pretty  noses.  She  was  a 
dainty  embodiment  of  independence  with  a  warm 
heart  and  an  out-and-out  way  of  speaking,  at  times, 
whether  in  defence,  approval  or  reproof. 

It  was  a  knowledge  of  all  this  which  had  encour 
aged  Tom  Rowell  to  introduce  Jack  Doran.  He  had 
hesitated  when  he  first  saw  Jack's  home  and  the  brass 
sign  "  Dressmaking."  But  he  liked  Jack  immensely; 
and,  by  and  by,  he  told  Molly  about  him.  Molly 
was  not  deterred  by  the  brass  sign.  "  He  doesn't 
wear  it,"  she  said.  "  If  he's  all  right  and  good  com 
pany,  you  bring  him.  I  think  I  shall  like  him." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  198 

Tom  was  delighted  to  find  that  his  cousin  and  his 
friend  promptly  set  the  seal  of  their  approval  upon 
his  introduction. 

While  Jack  was  removing  his  gloves  on  this  par 
ticular  evening  Mr.  Chambers  came  in,  and  shook 
his  visitor's  hand  cordially.  He  suggested  that  they 
go  back  into  the  library  where  it  was  "  more  com 
fortable."  Jack  in  a  minute  found  himself  seated  at 
a  log  fire. 

The  room  was  a  square  one,  hung  with  heavy  cur 
tains,  set  all  around  with  low  oak  bookcases,  above 
which  were  etchings  and  a  few  water  colors.  The 
surroundings  were  a  revelation  to  him  with  their 
warm,  rich  colors  and  their  atmosphere  of  refinement 
and  repose.  He  buried  his  feet  in  a  thick  rug  with 
a  sense  of  luxurious  enjoyment.  If  he  had  cherished 
a  hope  that  he  would  spend  the  evening  with  Molly 
alone,  he  was  partly  reconciled  to  Mr.  Chambers's 
presence  by  the  latter's  hearty  interest  in  all  that 
they  talked  about  and  by  the  many  times  that  Molly 
turned  her  bright  eyes  on  him. 

Presently,  Mr.  Chambers  said,  "  You  have  a  man 
at  the  head  of  your  bank  who  is  very  interesting  to 
me." 

"Jimmy?"  said  Jack,  unconsciously  lapsing  into 
the  name  so  familiar  to  him. 

Mr.  Chambers  laughed.  "  You  don't  call  him  that 
at  the  Bank,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No,"  corrected  Jack.     "  But,  you  see,  7  know 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  199 

him  very  well.  He's  my  mother's  best  friend  and 
mine,  too." 

"  Is  he?  "  said  Molly.  "  Now,  why  didn't  Tom 
tell  me  that;  he  told  me  so  much  about  you.  He's 
spoken  of — Jimmy,  too.  But  I  didn't  know  that  you 
were  a  Boss  ?  " 

"A  boss?"  repeated  Jack;  then,  detecting  her 
mocking  look,  "  Yes,  I'm  a  Boss.  Hadn't  you  heard 
that  Jimmy  always  consulted  me?" 

"  About  what?  "  queried  Molly. 

"  About  the  mail — at  the  Bank,  and  about  what 
I  want  at  Christmas  time." 

"  Jimmy  must  be  a  pretty  good  sort  of  friend," 
she  declared. 

"  There's  not  a  better  friend  anywhere.  Why 

he ."  He  was  about  to  tell  some  things  which 

Jimmy  had  done  for  him;  but,  remembering  that 
reference  to  such  deeds  offended  Jimmy,  he  con 
tented  himself  with  adding,  "  he  never  forgets  any 
one  that's  straight  with  him." 

"  So  I've  heard,"  put  in  Mr.  Chambers.  "  And 
I  admire — some  things  in  him.  His  sturdy  resolu 
tion  and  his  self  advancement  are  so  thoroughly 
American.  Whatever  he  is  he  has  made  himself." 

"  He's  like  you  in  that,  Uncle  Will,"  remarked 
Molly. 

Mr.  Chambers  smiled.  "  Many  persons  wouldn't 
take  that  as  a  compliment,"  he  said.  "  But  I  under 
stand  what  you  mean;  moreover,  I  don't  altogether 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  200 

dislike  the  comparison.  I'm  sure  there's  a  great 
deal  in  Devlin  which  folks  who  only  vote  don't 
know  about." 

"  Indeed,  there  is,"  asserted  Jack  warmly. 

"  Tell  me  a  lot  about  him,"  commanded  Molly. 

"What?"  inquired  Jack. 

"  Oh — about — politics." 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  politics,"  admitted 
Jack.  "  You  see,  I'm  only  near  Jimmy  at  the  Bank 
and  when  he  comes  to  our  house.  He  never  speaks 
about  politics  in  either  of  those  places." 

"  Why,  I  thought  that  Bosses  talked  about  noth 
ing  else." 

"  Perhaps  that's  because  we  only  know  them  by 
what  we  read  of  them  in  the  newspapers  and  by 
what  they  make  us  do  at  the  polls/'  suggested  Mr. 
Chambers.  "  But,  I  believe,  that  there  is  a  side  to 
them  which  we  don't  see." 

"  If  you  could  see  Jimmy  when  he's  at  our  house, 
you'd  be  sure  of  it,"  declared  Jack.  "  And  I  guess 
he  isn't  so  different  outside  with  anyone  who  is 
fair  to  him." 

"  Just  so,"  assented  Mr.  Chambers.  "  He's  fair 
to  all  who  are  fair  to  him,  eh?  Yet,  I  suppose, 
there  are  many  who  think  they  deserve  more  than 
they  get  from  him  ?  " 

"  Maybe,"  answered  Jack.  Then  his  loyalty  to 
Jimmy  pricked  by  this  admission  he  went  on,  "  But 
anyway,  he  keeps  his  word,  and  he  has  the  kindest 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  201 

heart  there  ever  was.  I've  known  him — ever  since 
I  was  a  baby — and  he's  always  been  doing  some 
thing  for  me.  People  who  abuse  him  don't  know 
him,  that's  all." 

"  I  don't  believe  they  do,"  agreed  Molly.  "  Jimmy 
must  be  fun.  I'm  going  to  know  him  some  day." 
Her  cheeks  glowed.  Her  liking  for  Jack  was 
deepened.  His  earnest,  ringing  voice  and  quick  de 
fence  of  his  friend  were  much  after  her  own  manner. 

Mr.  Chambers  had  watched  the  boy's  eyes  kindle 
and  listened  with  approval  to  his  outspoken  champi 
onship  of  his  benefactor.  These  were  signs  of  quali 
ties  which  matched  his  own  ideas  of  what  a  friend 
ship  should  be.  "  I  know,  of  course,  what  Devlin 
looks  like,"  he  said.  "  But  I  have  never  come  in  con 
tact  with  him.  Much  of  what  I  know  of  him  has 
come  through  a  friend  of  mine, — Mr.  Cans.  I  would 
like  to  meet  him." 

"  Would  you  ?  "  said  Jack.  "  I'll  introduce  you. 
Would  you  like  to  know  him  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to 
Molly. 

"  Yes,  I  should.  But,  dear  me !  I  should  be 
dreadfully  afraid.  A  real  Boss !  " 

Jack  laughed.  "Afraid!"  he  cried.  "You 
wouldn't  be  afraid  when  he  talked  to  you." 

"  Well,  you  must  first  introduce  me  to  your 
friend,"  interposed  Mr.  Chambers. 

"  When  ?  "  questioned  Jack  eagerly.  "  To 
morrow  ?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  202 

"  No,  not  to-morrow ;  but  some  time  soon,  if  you 

win." 

"  Oh,  I'll  do  it,"  answered  Jack. 

"  I  tell  you  what  I  wish  you'd  do  for  me,"  said 
Molly.  "  I  wish  you'd  get  me  his  autograph  for  my 
collection.  I've  got  the  names  of  a  good  many  fa 
mous  people,  but  I  haven't  got  a  Boss." 

"  Of  course,  I'll  get  it.     '  J.  Devlin— Boss  '  ?  " 

"Yes;  and,  after  that, — 'Jimmy' — just  as  if  we 
were  old  friends,  as  you  and  he  are." 

"  All  right,  I'll  get  it  to-morrow.  No,  I  forgot, 
he  won't  be  in  town  to-morrow.  He's  going  to 
Washington  for  a  week  with  Senator  Corson.  But, 
as  soon  as  he  comes  back,  I'll — I'll  bring  it  to  you," 
he  finished  with  an  air  of  solving  the  last  difficulty. 
"  May  I  ?  "  he  added,  surprised  that  she  did  not 
promptly  embrace  this  unique  proposition. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I'll  be  home,"  she  re 
turned  calmly.  Then  quickly,  "  But  you  can  give  it 
to  Uncle  Will  for  me.  You'll  take  good  care  of  it 
for  me,  won't  you,  Uncle  Will  ?  " 

"  I  shall  try,"  replied  Mr.  Chambers  with  intense 
gravity. 

"  All— right,"  assented  Jack. 

Then  Mrs.  Chambers  came  in.  She  had  a  low, 
sweet  voice ;  and  Jack,  who  had  met  her  on  his  pre 
vious  visits,  liked  her.  They  made  a  little  circle 
about  the  fire,  and  talked  for  half  an  hour.  Nine 
o'clock  struck,  and  Jack's  hopes  of  seeing  Molly 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  203 

alone  revived,  only  to  dwindle  as  the  two  superfluous 
members  of  the  party  kept  their  seats.  He  felt  that 
it  was  essential  that  a  better  arrangement  should  be 
made  about  the  delivery  of  that  autograph.  When 
Mrs.  Chambers  got  up  with  the  remark  that  she 
had  some  letters  to  write,  and,  five  minutes  later, 
Mr.  Chambers  was  called  away  by  a  visitor,  Jack's 
heart  leaped.  The  clock  hands  still  gave  him  half 
an  hour. 

But  the  ten  minutes  which  followed  were  a  self 
revelation  of  stupidity.  With  all  his  eagerness  to 
appear  at  ease  and  to  engage  Molly's  attention,  he 
found  his  tongue  tied  and  his  hands  dreadfully  in 
the  way.  Molly,  on  the  contrary,  rattled  on  at  a 
great  rate.  She  told  him  about  a  book  she  had  been 
reading.  She  talked  about  Tom  Rowell,  and  spoke 
of  him  in  a  way  which  made  Jack  realize,  for  the 
first  time,  that  Rowell  had  his  limitations.  She 
asked  him  if  he  knew  a  man  named  Cans. 

"  I  know  an  old  man  named  Cans.  He  comes 
into  the  Bank  once  in  a  while." 

"  How  old?  "  queried  Molly. 

"  About  fifty,  I  guess." 

"  Oh,  dear  me!  that  isn't  Dick."     She  laughed. 

"Dick!  An  ugly  name,"  reflected  Jack.  "Isn't 
it?  "  he  said  aloud. 

"  No.  That  must  be  Dick's  Uncle  Joe — father's 
friend.  Dick's  twenty-four.  You  ought  to  know 
him." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  204 

"Why?" 

"  He's  such  a  jolly  fellow.  He's  good  looking, 
too." 

"  His  uncle  isn't,"  said  Jack  promptly. 

"  He's  very  different  looking  from  his  uncle." 

"Is  he?" 

"  Yes." 

There  was  a  pause.  Jack  made  a  desperate  rally. 
"When  can  I  call  again?"  he  asked. 

"  Why, — any  time.  Uncle  likes  you,  and,  I  know, 
he  '11  be  glad  to  talk  with  you  some  more  about  your 
friend,  Mr.  Devlin." 

"  But  you?  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  interested  in  Mr.  Devlin,  too.  Haven't 
I  asked  for  his  autograph?  I  must  tell  Dick  about 
him.  Couldn't  we  arrange  to  have  Dick  here  when 
— whenever  I  meet  Mr.  Devlin?" 

"  I  don't  think  so !  "  said  Jack  so  sharply  that  she 
gave  a  little  jump. 

"  My  gracious !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  So  Mr.  Dev 
lin  knows  Dick,  and  doesn't  like  him  ?  " 

He  frowned.  "  I  don't  think  they  know  each 
other,"  he  said.  "  But,  I'm  sure  he  wouldn't  want 
to  meet — a  crowd.  That  is  " — realizing  that  this 
savored  of  rudeness, — "  I  mean,  I  think,  it  would 
be  better  if  there  wasn't  any  stranger  about  when  I 
introduce  Jimmy  to  you." 

"  But  Dick  isn't  a  stranger.  He's  known  us  a 
long  time." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  205 

"  Known  you  a  long  time?  "  asked  Jack,  helping 
to  turn  the  knife  in  his  wound. 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  knows  me  very  well." 

"How  well?" 

"  I  wouldn't  dare  say.     You  might  ask  him." 

"  I  won't  do  it!  "  declared  Jack. 

"  What  was  I  thinking  of  ?  Of  course,  you 
wouldn't.  Dick  wouldn't  like  it." 

"Why  wouldn't  he?" 

«  Oh —I  don't  know." 

"  Would  you  care?" 

"Why  should  I  care?" 

"  Then  you  don't  care  ?  " 

"About  what?" 

"Dick?— That  is  if  I  asked  him?" 

She  laughed.  "How  silly  you  are!  I  was  only 
fooling." 

"  Only  fooling !  About  how  well  you  knew — 
Dick — Mr.  Cans,  I  mean?" 

"  No,  about  asking  him.  Of  course  he  wouldn't 
say  how  well  he  knew  me — to  you.  But  I'll  tell 
you.  I  know  Dick  as  well — Let  me  see?  As  well 
as " 

"Me?" 

"  Oh,  lots  better  than  that,"  she  scoffed.  "  Why, 
Mr.  Doran,  I've  just  met  you." 

"  You  met  me  two  weeks  and  two  days  ago." 

"  So  long  ago  as  that?  But,  of  course,  I  remem 
ber  now.  It  was  the  night  that  Tom  Rowell  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  206 

here — one  of  the  nights.  Do  you  know,  I  can  al 
ways  remember  anything  that  happens  when  Tom's 
around?  He's  such  a  quiet  fellow;  he  makes  me 
think." 

"Does  he?"  gloomily. 

"  Yes " 

"  But  how  well  " — Jack  hastened  to  interpolate 
when  she  resumed  suddenly,  "  I  think  a  lot  about 
Tom.  He's  my  cousin  and,  of  course,  I  ought  to." 

Jack  assented  grudgingly.  He  wasn't  sure  that 
cousins  should  be  so  much  in  each  other's  thoughts. 

"  But  dear  old  Tom  isn't  a  bit  like  a  cousin — in 
some  ways,"  she  mused. 

"  Tom "  was  growing  more  intolerable  than 
"  Dick."  Jack  said  firmly,  "  You  were  going  to  tell 
me  how  well  you  knew  Mr.  Gans  ?  "  He  looked  so 
solemn  when  he  made  this  suggestion  that  she 
laughed. 

"  Why,  what's  the  matter?  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  You  " — Jack  began  blunderingly.  He  did  not 
know  just  what  he  was  to  say.  She  struck  in  briskly, 

"  Yes,  I  have  been  talking  a  great  deal  about " 

She  paused ;  Jack  leaned  forward  eagerly.  "  About 
two  of  my  particular  friends,"  she  finished  com 
posedly. 

"  Do  you  talk  about  your  other  friends  to  them — • 
to  Mr.  Gans  and — Tom  ?  "  he  managed  to  say. 

"  Why,  yes, — sometimes." 

"  And  I'm  one  of  your  friends?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  207 

"Of  course, — that  is,  you  are  my  friend,  aren't 
you?"  She  looked  at  him  with  wide-open  eyes. 
But  there  was  something  which  popped  in  and  out 
about  the  corners  of  her  mouth  which  puzzled  Jack. 
At  any  other  time  it  would  have  been  a  dimple 
which  he  would  have  remembered  as  one  of  the 
many  adorable  possessions  of  The  Only  Girl.  At 
this  moment  he  was  not  sure  that  it  was  not  a  mock 
ing  sign,  and  that  it  played  at  hide-and-seek  in  con 
tempt  of  his  misery.  Abruptly  he  burst  out,  "  I 
guess,  I'm  not  anybody's  friend." 

Instantly  Molly's  face  grew  serious.  Her  eyes 
were  penitent;  the  dimple  was  effaced  by  a  sorrow 
ful  little  line  which  drew  at  her  mouth.  "  Don't  say 
that,"  she  chided  softly.  "  You  are  a  friend  of  lots 
of  people.  And  you  have  lots  of  friends.  I'm — I'm 
one  of  them." 

Just  then  the  embers  of  the  fire  must  have  flared 
up  and  shed  a  great  light  over  the  room ;  for,  in  that 
instant,  everything  about  him  became  exceedingly 
bright  and  cheerful  to  Jack's  gaze.  A  radiant  figure 
of  a  slim  girl  in  a  dress  of  gray  crepe,  her  lustrous, 
brown  hair  in  thick  braids,  crowning  her  tender  face 
and  softly  shining  eyes  filled  in  the  vision.  "  I 
hoped  you  were  my  friend,"  he  stammered  in  be 
wildered  delight. 

And  with  that  the  face  of  the  radiant  creature 
became  dangerously  demure  once  more.  "  Oh  !  " 
she  cried ;  "  I  forgot  to  show  you  my  California 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  208 

views."  She  got  a  big  portfolio  from  beneath  the 
broad  oak  table,  and  invited  him  to  draw  up  a  chair 
by  her  own. 

Just  as  Jack  discovered  that  this  particular  Cali 
fornia  tour  "  personally  conducted "  was  to  be  a 
journey  of  enchantments  Mr.  Chambers  reentered  the 
room,  and,  at  Molly's  suggestion,  took  the  portfolio 
on  his  knees,  and  began  to  explain  the  views.  He 
had  much  to  tell  and  a  fine,  rich  voice;  but  it  was 
plain  to  Jack  from  the  start  that  the  delights  of  Cali 
fornia  were,  after  all,  not  what  he  had  anticipated. 

Then  the  clock  on  the  mantel  beat  off  ten  musi 
cal  strokes,  and  the  cathedral  gong  in  the  hallway 
took  up  the  echo  lest  Jack  might  have  grown  sud 
denly  hard  of  hearing.  There  was  no  neglecting  the 
warning.  His  good  sense  told  him  he  should  leave. 

He  got  up.  "  I  must  go,"  he  said.  "  Good  night, 
Mr.  Chambers !  Good  night,  Miss  Struthers !  " 

Mr.  Chambers  shook  hands  with  him,  and  fol 
lowed  him  to  the  door.  Out  of  the  tail  of  his  eye 
Jack  saw  Molly  standing  by  the  fireplace.  He  grew 
bold  at  the  situation  thrust  upon  him.  "  Please  don't 
forget,  Miss  Struthers,"  he  said,  turning  swiftly  in 
the  doorway ;  "  I  will  come  next  Wednesday  eve 
ning  to  bring  you  Mr.  Devlin's  autograph." 

Molly  turned.  He  was  not  certain  whether  it  was 
the  flickering  shadow  from  the  flames  or  a  smile 
which  danced  across  her  face  as  she  answered,  "  Oh, 
but  you  forgot.  I  am  going  to  a  party  with — Dick, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  209 

on  Wednesday  evening."  Then,  as  Jack's  heart 
sank,  "  But  it  was  Thursday  evening,  anyhow,  that 
you  were  coming,  wasn't  it?  " 

In  his  room  that  evening  Jack  wondered  what  it 
was  he  had  said  which  made  Mr.  Chambers  laugh 
so  immoderately  as  they  parted  on  the  doorstep. 


CHAPTER  X  210 

«  TIMMY,"  said  Jack  on  Wednesday  evening 
|  of  the  following  week;  "  will  you  write 

J       your  name  on  a  piece  of  paper  for  me?  " 

Kate  was  busy  in  the  kitchen  when  Jimmy  ar 
rived  ;  Jack  intended  to  make  good  use  of  the  oppor 
tunity  of  speaking  to  Jimmy  alone.  At  the  Bank 
there  were  few  spare  moments. 

Jimmy  looked  up  quickly.  "  My  name  ?  "  he  re 
peated,  wrinkling  his  brows.  "  What  do  you  want 
it  for?"  ' 

"  I'd  like  to  have  it  for  an  autograph  collection," 
replied  Jack. 

"  Sort  of  Rogues'  Gallery  of  names,  eh  ?  " 

"  No,  a  collection  of  celebrated  people.  There's 
lots  of  big  names  in  it." 

"  Let's  see  it." 

"  It— it  isn't  here." 

"  Can't  put  my  name  into  anything  till  I  see  what 
sort  of  company  it's  goin'  to  keep.  You  show  it  to 
me;  then,  maybe,  I'll  find  somebody  good  enough  to 
sit  next  to  in  th'  book." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't.  The  collection  belongs  to  a 
friend." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  211 

"  Oh ! "  There  was  meaning-  in  the  utterance. 
Jimmy  had  written  "  J.  Devlin "  many  times  on 
Bank  paper;  he  had  a  prejudice  against  putting  it 
on  any  other  document.  Jack  knew  this.  So  he  ex 
plained,  after  a  brief  hesitation,  "  This  friend  of  mine 
has  heard  a  lot  about  you,  she  said.  And  she  asked 
for  your  name  for  her  collection." 

"  It's  funny  your  mother  didn't  ask  for  it  herself," 
remarked  Jimmy. 

Jack's  stare  of  astonishment  was  too  much  for 
self-restraint.  A  twinkle  surprised  Jimmy's  gravity. 
Jack  comprehended.  '  You  knew  it  wasn't  for  my 
mother,"  he  said.  "  It's  for  a— girl." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Jimmy.  A  look  of  understanding 
passed  between  them.  Somehow,  Jack  found  it 
easier  to  be  discovered  by  Jimmy  than  by  his  mother. 
Perhaps,  his  weakness  had  grown  more  shameless. 
At  any  rate,  he  repeated,  "  Yes,  it's  for  a  friend  of 
mine — Miss  Struthers." 

"An  old  friend?" 

"  Yes,  I  met  her  a  month  ago.  She's  a  niece  of 
Mr.  William  H.  Chambers,  the  Vice-President  of 
the  Central  Railroad.  She's  a  bully  girl,  and  she 
wants  to  meet  you.  You'd  like  her,  I  know.  She's 
interested  in  politics.  She  has  everything  but  a  Boss; 
and,  she  says,  she  wants  him  more  than  anything 
else." 

"Whew!"  whistled  Jimmy.  "I'll  look  out  for 
myself.  Where  do  you  think  I'd  better  hide?  " 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  212 

"Hide?"  Then  Jack's  face  cleared,  and  he 
laughed.  "  I  guess,  you  won't  have  to  hide.  All 
you've  got  to  do  is  to  write  your  name  for  her,  and 
give  it  to  me." 

Jimmy  exhaled  a  long  breath.  "  Jerusalem !  You 
had  me  guessing.  Thought  I  was  goin'  to  be 
snatched  up  on  th'  street,  first  time  she  came  across 
me.  Oh,  yes,  I'll  write  my  name,  if  that'll  satisfy 
her." 

Jack  got  paper,  pen  and  ink.  Jimmy  sat  down  at 
a  table.  He  poised  the  pen,  then  remarked,  "  On 
second  thoughts,  I  guess,  I'll  write  a  letter  to  her." 

"  A  letter  would  be  fine." 

"  Well,  you  go  over  there,  then.  I  can't  write 
with  anyone  looking  over  my  shoulder." 

Jack  sat  down  in  a  corner.  Jimmy  wrote  slowly 
for  a  couple  of  minutes.  Then  he  held  the  paper 
over  the  lamp,  and  waved  it  to  and  fro. 

"Let's  see?"  asked  Jack,  coming  forward. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  answered  Jimmy,  calmly  fold 
ing  the  sheet.  "  It's  a  personal  letter  to — Miss 
Struthers,  and — private." 

The  conceit  tickled  Jack's  fancy.  "  All  right,"  he 
said.  "  Here's  an  envelope." 

Jimmy  enclosed  the  letter,  and  sealed  the  envelope. 
"What's  th'  address?"  he  inquired. 

"  Just  put  on  her  name.     I'll  take  it  to  her." 

"  No,  siree !  You  might  open  it.  I  mail  my 
letters." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  213 

"  I  won't  open  it.    I'll  put  it  right  into  her  hands." 

"Straight?" 

"  Yes." 

"How  soon?" 

"  To-morrow  night." 

"  I  guess  I'll  have  to  give  it  to  you,  then." 
Jimmy  wrote  "  Miss  Struthers  "  in  a  cramped  hand 
across  the  envelope,  and  gave  it  to  Jack. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chambers  had  guests  in  the  draw 
ing  room  when  Jack  called  the  following  evening, 
and  he  rejoiced  to  find  himself  in  his  favorite  nook 
beside  the  fire-place  alone  with  Molly.  Presently, 
he  introduced  the  subject  of  his  promise  at  the  time 
of  his  last  visit.  He  produced  Jimmy's  letter. 

"  For  me?  "  asked  Molly.  "  How  jolly !  Do  you 
know  what  's  in  it?  " 

"  Read  it,"  he  replied,  with  importance.  She  broke 
the  seal,  and  ran  her  eye  over  the  paper.  She  gave 
him  a  fleeting  glance.  He  did  not  understand  it. 
"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it?  "  he  inquired. 

"  I  think — that — Jimmy  is  a  very  good  friend  of 
mine." 

"  He  couldn't  be  anything  else." 

She  did  not  seem  to  be  impressed  by  the  impli 
cation.  "  And  you  said  he  always  told  the  truth, 
didn't  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,  I'm  sure  he  does.  You  can  believe  what 
ever  he  says." 

She  folded  the  letter  neatly,  and  began  to  put  it 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  214 

into  the  envelope.  "  I  must  say  I  think  it's  unselfish 
of  you  to  admit  that/7  she  remarked. 

Jack  became  vaguely  uneasy.    "  Why  so?  " 

"  Because  you  brought  me  this  letter  in  person." 

His  bewilderment  grew.  "  It  was  just  like  Jimmy 
to  write  it,"  he  hazarded. 

She  was  slipping  the  letter  back  and  forth;  sud 
denly  she  held  it  out  to  him.  "  It  was  very  kind  on 
his  part,"  she  said  soberly.  "  I  shall  thank  him  for 
it  myself.  But,  of  course,  I  don't  want  the  letter; 
and,  I  suppose,  you'll  excuse  me,  under  the  circum 
stances,  if  I  say  good  night  ?  " 

"  Good  night  ?  "  he  stammered.  What  had  hap 
pened?  "  Why  I've  just  come?  What's  the  matter?  " 

"  Nothing,"  coolly.  "  Only  I'm  sure  there  are 
other  girls  who  would  appreciate  Mr.  Devlin's  auto 
graph  more  than  I  could — under  the  circumstances." 
Jack  was  dumbfounded.  "  Here's  the  letter.  Please, 
take  it,"  she  prompted. 

He  took  it  mechanically.  "  I  don't  know  what 
I've  done,"  he  blurted  out. 

"  Nothing,  Mr.  Doran.  As  I  say,  you  were  really 
very  good  to  bring  the  letter,  knowing  as  you  did, 
what  was  in  it." 

"  But  I  don't." 

"But  you'd  read  it?" 

"  I  haven't  read  it,"  he  replied  energetically. 

"  Why,  you  let  me  think  you  had  when  I  asked 
you!"  ' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  215 

Jack  reddened.  "  Maybe  I  did;  but  I  hadn't  read 
the  letter  all  the  same.  Jimmy  wouldn't  let  me." 

Molly's  lips  twitched.  "  I  don't  wonder  he 
wouldn't,"  she  remarked  severely.  "  But,  perhaps, 
you'd  better  read  it  now.  It  might — it  might  make 
you  less  generous  in  offering  to  get  autographs  from 
your  friend,  Mr.  Devlin." 

Jack  snatched  the  letter  from  its  covering.  He 
read  it  hastily.  He  did  not  see  her  cover  her  face 
with  her  hands;  nor  did  he  hear  the  trickle  of 
laughter  which  escaped  through  her  fingers.  His 
faculties  were  intent  on  a  treacherous  epistle. 
Jimmy's  letter  was  as  follows : 

"  Miss  STRUTHERS, 

"  Dear  Madam: 

"  Our  friend,  Mr.  Jack  Doran  says  you  are  a  bully 
girl,  but  that  you  want  a  boss.  You  mustn't  believe 
all  that  he  tells  you.  I  don't.  This  offering  to  get 
an  autograph  is  an  old  dodge  of  his.  I've  written 
my  name  ten  times  for  him — for  friends  of  his.  He 
says  they're  bully  girls,  but  that  they  all  need  a  boss. 
Maybe,  they  do;  but  you  don't,  I'm  sure.  So  you 
watch  out  for  Jack  Doran.  He's  a  sly  one. 

"  Yours  truly 
"  J.  DEVLIN JIMMY." 

Jack  looked  up ;  his  face  was  scarlet.  "  That  isn't 
so — not  a  word  of  it !  "  he  exploded.  "  It  was  a  low 
down  trick !  "  Then  he  saw  that  Molly's  eyes  peeped 
from  their  ambush,  laughing,  and  he  waxed  wroth. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  216 

He  knew  that  he  had  been  made  to  look  like  a  fool, 
whatever  other  injury  he  might  have  escaped.  "I'll 
tell  him — I'll  tell  Jimmy  " — he  began. 

"  You'll  tell  him  he's  a  good  friend  of  mine,"  she 
supplied.  "  You'll  tell  him  just  that,  if  you  don't 
want  me  to  tell  the  truth  to  those  ten  other  girls  who 
asked  for  an  autograph." 

"  But  there  aren't  any  other  girls." 

Molly's  nose  was  tilted. 

"  There  isn't  one." 

Molly's  eyes  were  scornful.  "  No,  really  there 
isn't  one,"  he  urged. 

"Not  one?"  she  queried  softly. 

"  That  is — oh,  of  course,  there's  one"  he  hastened 
to  correct. 

"You're  sure?" 

"  Dead  sure." 

"  Then  suppose  you  give  her  the  autograph  that 
belongs  to  her." 

Jack  extended  the  letter.  "  Why,  I  know  her,  do 
I  ?  "  she  exclaimed,  and  added  quickly,  "  Well,  I'll 
keep  it  anyway,  for  the  present."  She  tucked  away 
the  letter.  Then  her  face  brightened.  "  Oh,  I 
nearly  forgot  to  tell  you  something.  Dick — Dick 
Cans  is  coming  here  this  evening." 

She  paid  no  attention  to  Jack's  darkened  face. 
"  Yes,  and  I'm  particularly  glad  he's  coming  this 
evening." 

"  Are  you?  "  said  Jack  gloomily. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  217 

"  Yes,  because  I  want  him  to  meet  you." 

This  had  a  better  sound.  "  Does  he  want  to  meet 
me?"  Jack  inquired.  He  could  not  understand 
why  any  man  who  knew  Molly  should  wish  to  meet 
another  man  of  her  acquaintance. 

"He  said,"  she  answered  sweetly;  ''that  he  be 
lieved  you  and  he  would  be  good  friends.  I'm  glad 
of  that.  You  know,  Dick  doesn't  like  some  of  the 
men  I  know." 

"  Don't  he."  Jack  wasn't  certain  whether  this 
last  confidence  held  good  or  evil.  "  Perhaps,  we'll 
be  friends,"  he  conceded  ungraciously.  "  But  why 
doesn't  he  like — the — others  ?  " 

"  He  does  like  some  of  them.  Harry  Jenks  and 
Corlies  Porter  and  he  get  along  splendidly  together. 
But  I  don't  know  just  why  that  is;  for  I  never  cared 
much  for  Mr.  Porter  or  Mr.  Jenks,  and  I  see  very 
little  of  them:  Do  you  know  them  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't,"  returned  Jack  abstractedly.  Then, 
"  Who  is  it  that  Mr.  Cans  doesn't  like?  " 

"  Let's  see.  Tom  Rowell  is  one,  and — well,  Tom 
is  the  only  one  I  can  think  of,  right  off." 

"I  don't  think  I'll  like  Mr.  Gans,"  said  Jack 
decidedly. 

"  Why?  "  She  looked  disappointed  and  surprised. 
Then,  suddenly,  "  Oh,  I  see !  You  think  you  won't 
like  him  because  Tom  and  you  are  such  friends." 

Jack  made  no  comment.  "  Aren't  you  great 
friends?  "  she  asked. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  218 

"  Yes, pretty  good  friends." 

"  I  don't  wonder.  Tom  is  an  awfully  nice  fellow, 
Do  you  know  " — leaning  forward  confidentially, — 
"  I  never  can  tell  which  I  like  best — Dick  or  Tom." 

Jack  groaned  inwardly.  It  seemed  that  there  was 
no  escape  from  this  inquisition.  He  was  blindly 
groping  for  a  loophole  when  the  curtains  in  the  door 
way  were  parted,  and  some  one  said,  "  Good  eve 
ning,  Molly." 

Jack  decided  that  never  before  had  he  heard  so 
unpleasant  a  voice.  It  was  intolerably  familiar,  too. 
But  he  rose  and  waited  with  the  patience  of  a  Tanta 
lus  while  Molly  shook  hands  with  the  newcomer. 

He  was  tall  and  blonde  with  the  beginnings  of  a 
mustache.  He  twirled  this  last — or  tried  to,  as  Jack 
observed — as  he  spoke  to  Molly.  His  back  was 
partly  turned  on  Jack.  Nothing  could  be  more 
homely  than  his  profile,  the  latter  thought.  Molly 
seemed  to  find  something  in  the  new  comer's  face 
which  pleased  her.  She  said  something  to  him  which 
Jack  could  not  hear.  An  unintelligible  muttering 
came  from  under  that  absurd  mustache.  Its  wearer 
turned.  Jack  instantly  saw  that  his  first  opinion  of 
the  profile  was  false.  The  full  face  was  homely  be 
yond  comparison.  He  fancied  that  there  was  a 
patronizing  smile  on  the  lips.  That  made  him 
mad. 

"This  is  Mr.  Cans,  Mr.  Doran,"  said  Molly 
prettily.  She  gave  Jack  a  glance  that  made  his 


J    DEVLIN— BOSS  219 

pulses  leap,  and  flashed  its  mate  upon  the  other 
man. 

Jack  bowed  stiffly. 

"  Very  glad  to  meet  you,"  said  Dick  Cans  in  a 
tone  that  made  Jack  determine  to  find  an  excuse  to 
lick  him  the  first  time  they  met  alone.  Aloud  he 
replied,  "  I'm  glad  to  know  you." 

Then  they  sat  down, — Jack  in  his  former  place, 
Dick  in  a  chair  which  he  adroitly  slipped  in  between 
the  latter's  and  Molly's  chairs.  Jack  found  himself 
looking  at  Molly's  hands  and  the  lower  part  of  her 
gown.  Dick's  bulky  figure  blotted  out  the  rest.  For 
this  reason  he  hitched  his  chair  closer  to  the  fire 
place,  and  was  rewarded  by  a  larger  share  of  Molly 
and  a  clearer  view  of  the  only  portion  of  Dick's 
face  in  which  he  was  interested.  He  did  not  dis 
cover  until  he  reached  home  that  night  that  the  nap 
on  one  side  of  his  coat  and  trousers  was  singed.  This 
was  one  of  the  mementos  of  a  miserable  evening. 

Others  repeated  themselves  to  him  in  the  form  of 
remarks  made  by  Molly  to  Dick  and  by  Dick  to 
Molly — remarks  at  which  they  both  laughed  and  at 
one  of  which  she  colored  bewitchingly.  Molly  was 
at  pains  to  explain  these  remarks  to  Jack,  assisted  by 
frequent  references  to  Dick,  who,  the  while,  com 
placently  stroked  his  upper  lip,  smiling  indulgently 
and  interjecting  a  word,  now  and  then,  which  was 
senseless  to  Jack,  but  apparently  fraught  with  deli 
cious  reminiscences  to  her. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  220 

Jack  was  so  miserable  that,  when  half  past  nine 
struck,  he  mistook  it  for  half  past  ten;  and,  with  a 
sense  of  virtuous  resignation,  got  on  his  feet,  and 
said  he  must  go. 

Dick  got  up  lazily,  as  if  he  didn't  care.  "  Why, 
we  are  having  such  a  good  time,"  he  drawled. 
"  But  I'm  glad  to  have  met  you.  Hope  I'll  see  you 
soon  again."  Then  he  began  to  caress  that  insuffer 
able  down  on  his  lip  and  turned  to  something  on  the 
mantel.  His  air  plainly  said  that  he  would  donate  a 
few  minutes  of  Molly's  company.  Jack  felt  him 
self  choking,  yet  helpless. 

But  Molly  had  arisen,  and  she  walked  with  Jack 
to  the  hall  door.  She  stood  there  while  he  put  on  his 
overcoat  and  gloves.  "  It's  been  awfully  jolly  to 
have  you,"  she  said. 

He  contrived  a  smile,  but  it  was  a  rueful  one,  and, 
suddenly,  her  eyes  softened.  "  I'm  afraid — I'm 
afraid  we  talked  a  lot  about  things  that  you  weren't 
interested  in,"  she  said  penitently.  "  But  Dick  " 

"  Do  you  really  like  him?  "  Jack  said. 

"  Yes,  of  course,  I  do, — just  as  I  like  Tom — and 
— you." 

He  beckoned  her  into  the  hallway  with  a  mysteri 
ous  nod.  When  she  was  close  to  him  he  whispered, 
"  Will  you  talk  to  me  as — as  you  did  to  him 
about — about  what  we  know  sometime — when  he's 
by  to  hear  us?  " 

She  looked  at  him  archly.    His  face  was  begging, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  221 

and  her  own  relented.  She  never  had  seemed  so 
beautiful  to  him  as  she  did  then.  She  held  out  her 
hand,  and  said,  "  I'll  tell  you  something — I  think 
mustaches  are  hideous !  " 

Jack  registered  a  mental  vow  to  wear  a  smooth 
lip  forever.  "  And  I  hope  his  won't  grow  and  that 
he'll  never  shave  it  off,"  he  added  to  himself.  If 
his  exultation  showed  in  his  face,  he  did  not  speak 
it.  He  simply  said  "  Good  night." 

All  the  way  home  he  kept  one  hand — the  ungloved 
one — in  his  coat  pocket.  There  was  a  delicious  tin 
gling  there  where  a  little,  warm  palm  had  lain  for  a 
moment,  or  he  fancied  that  there  was,  which  was 
just  as  satisfactory. 


CHAPTER  XI  222 

IN  June  the  Chambers  closed  their  city  house, 
and  went  to  the  Maine  coast.  Afterward,  they 
planned  to  spend  some  time  in  the  mountains. 
Jack  felt  that  the  sun  had  hidden  its  face  when  he 
saw  the  Boston  express  pull  out  of  the  long  train- 
shed,  and  Molly's  dainty  figure  shrink  into  a  white 
blur  upon  the  platform  of  the  last  coach.  He  went 
back  to  the  Bank,  counting  the  days  which  must 
elapse  before  he  could  get  the  letter  which  she  had 
promised  to  send  him  when  they  were  settled  in  the 
hotel.  He  was  such  a  gloomy  being  that  Jimmy  ral 
lied  him;  and,  thereupon,  discovered  that  Jack's 
boyishness  was  evaporating  and  that  his  illusions 
were  tangible  things  sometimes. 

Kate  tasted  the  bitter  and  the  sweet  of  finding  that 
her  comforting  words,  for  once,  failed  to  dissipate 
his  unhappiness,  but  that  he  now  spent  most  of  his 
evenings  at  home.  She  drew  a  forlorn  cheer  from 
the  fact  that,  after  a  month  of  brooding,  he  seemed 
to  find  something  to  interest  him  outside;  and,  as 
often  as  not,  was  out  of  the  house  by  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  not  to  return  frequently  until  late. 
But  even  this  diversion  did  not  save  him  from  oc- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  223 

casional  fits  of  depression  which  her  cheery  words 
failed  to  dispel.  The  symptoms  were  not  unique; 
she  pacified  the  stirrings  of  her  heart  with  the  reflec 
tion  that  she  could  not  expect  him  to  live  always  in 
her  life. 

Early  in  that  Spring  Jack  was  promoted  to  a  place 
in  line  with  the  cashier's  office,  and  was  given  a 
salary  double  that  which  he  had  been  receiving.  His 
progress  was  phenomenal ;  Kate  with  all  of  her  con 
fidence  in  him  conceded  this,  and  realized  wherein 
such  progress  must  have  its  initiative.  Jack  ac 
knowledged  his  indebtedness  to  Jimmy  also;  but  he 
let  her  see  that  he  identified  in  himself  at  least  some 
of  the  qualities  which  were  responsible  for  his  ad 
vancement.  "  I  mean  to  get  on,  mother,"  he  said. 
"  I'm  sure  I  will." 

It  was  an  assertion  of  independence  which  pleased 
her.  She  wanted  her  boy  to  be  a  man  all  through. 
Self-reliance  was  a  requisite.  It  was  admiration 
of  this  attribute  which  helped  to  weaken  her 
remonstrances  when  Jack's  habit  of  spending  his 
evenings  away  from  home  first  made  her  uneasy. 
It  was  the  way  of  every  young  man,  she  reflected. 
As  Jack  declared,  "  It's  the  only  way  of  making 
friends  outside  of  the  Bank.  I'll  never  get  ahead, 
if  I  don't  have  them.  Look  at  Jimmy !  Where  'd  he 
be,  if  he  hadn't  known  a  lot  of  people  and  been 
among  them  so  much  ?  " 

The  illustration  was  almost  convincing  to  her; 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  224 

yet  that  night,  long  after  he  had  come  in  and  fallen 
asleep,  she  stole  to  his  room.  His  dark,  smooth  hair 
and  handsome  head  against  the  pillow  recalled  to  her 
a  face  which  once  had  been  enshrined  by  her  girlish 
infatuation.  His  expression  was  so  tranquil,  so 
clear  and  youthful.  In  the  little  while  she  bent  over 
him  her  apprehensions  were  stilled.  She  went  back 
to  her  own  room,  rebuking  herself  for  having  har 
bored  a  doubt.  Then,  too,  there  was  Jimmy ;  he  had 
the  utmost  confidence  in  Jack. 

Yet,  perhaps,  in  her  pride  in  Jack,  Kate  under 
estimated  the  watchfulness  of  Jimmy.  Certainly, 
the  latter  saw  a  great  deal  more  than  she  thought  he 
did.  It  is  equally  sure  that  it  was  not  his  habit 
to  be  a  casual  observer,  Kate  should  have  got  a 
hint  of  this  as  it  related  to  Jack  from  a  conversa 
tion  which  she  had  with  Jimmy  not  many  months 
later. 

He  was  now  a  visitor  at  the  house,  and  had 
dropped  in  on  this  evening  soon  after  supper.  About 
eight  o'clock  Jack  appeared  in  the  sitting  room,  to 
say  good-night  to  his  mother. 

He  was  dressed  stylishly,  and  he  had  a  smart  air 
about  him  which  somehow  jarred  on  Jimmy.  He 
said  "  Good  evening?"  to  the  latter,  then  stooped 
and  kissed  his  mother. 

Jimmy  always  liked  to  see  him  do  that.  He  had 
sometimes  speculated  as  to  what  he  would  have 
his  son  do,  if  he  had  one;  and,  the  first  time 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  225 

he  saw  Jack  kiss  his  mother,  he  decided  that  that 
was  certainly  one  of  the  things  he  would  wish  to 
have  his  son  do  always.  It  was  queer  what  ideas 
came  into  an  old  bachelor's  head!  He  would  have 
been  very  much  upset  if  they  had  leaked  out. 

On  this  evening,  when  Jack  had  gone  out,  Jimmy 
sat  in  silence  a  moment,  then  remarked,  "  He's  a 
good  sort  of  a  boy." 

"  I  guess  he  is,"  returned  Kate;  "  there  is  no  one 
just  like  him." 

Jimmy  smiled.  "  And  you  tell  him  that  every 
day,  of  course?  " 

"  Pretty  often,  I  guess,"  admitted  Kate.  "  But 
Jack's  the  sort  that  doesn't  spoil;  and,  then — he 
thinks  a  great  deal  of  me.  That's  some  excuse." 

"  It's  strange,"  mused  Jimmy,  but  she  caught  a 
tantalizing  gleam  in  his  eyes. 

"  Yes,  strange  to  an  old  chronic  grumbler  like 
you,"  she  asserted.  "  To  me  it  seems  just  as  it 
should  be.  We're  chums — Jack  and  I.  I  tell  him 
everything,  and  he  does  the  same  by  me." 

Jimmy  made  no  response  at  the  moment;  he 
seemed  to  be  lost  in  contemplation  of  the  toe  of  his 
boot.  Then  he  asked,  almost  as  if  of  himself, 
''Everything?"  And,  the  next  instant,  went  on 
quickly,  in  answer  to  her  echo  of  the  word,  "  I 
mean  do  you  tell  Jack  everything?  If  you  do,  I'm 
going  to  object,  right  here.  He  must  be  laughing 
every  time  he  sees  me  and  thinks  of  some  of  th' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  226 

things  I  used  to  do  and  how  I  looked  when  I  was 
a'  boy." 

"  Privately,  he  couldn't  think  you  any  bigger  fool 
than  you  were,"  she  retorted,  laughing.  "Oh, 
Jimmy !  you  were  such  a  fool — once !  " 

"  Maybe,  maybe,"  he  assented.  "  Anyway,"  he 
went  on ;  "  Jimmy  in  short  pants  and  freckles  and 
with  newspapers — " 

"  And  a  pug  nose  and  thin  legs,"  put  in  Kate. 

"  And  a  long-legged,  skinny  girl  for  a  friend," 
added  Jimmy,  and  continued;  "Jimmy  like  that  is 
a — is  very  different  from  Jack.  Sometimes  /  used 
to  get  my  clothes  at  a  '  hand-me-down's'  while  Jack 
— Jack,  I  daresay,  he  gets  his  at  some  good  tailor's  ?  " 

"  At  Simpson's — one  of  the  best  places." 

"  I  believe  in  keeping  yourself  neat,"  remarked 
Jimmy,  but  he  made  a  mental  note  of  the  fact  that 
Simpson  was  a  fashionable  tailor  who  charged  the 
highest  prices  for  his  clothes.  "  In  th'  evenings," 
he  went  on  aloud,  "  I  used  to  be  hustlin'  round  on 
my  own  account,  or  working  for  Brady.  But  Jack, 
he  spends  his  evenings — " 

"  He  spends  a  good  many  of  them  outside  now. 
I'm  rather  glad  of  it.  He's  been  so  gloomy  since — ." 
She  shot  a  glance  of  inquiry. 

Jimmy  nodded.  "  Since  She  left,"  he  supplied. 
He  laughed.  "  It's  a  pretty  important  '  she '  with 
him." 

Kate  sighed.     "  Yes,  but  I  guess  it's  all  right." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  227 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  he  rejoined.  "  As  far  as  I 
can  find  out,  she's  a  sensible  sort  of  a  girl.  And 
she  comes  of  good  people.  I  know  Mr.  Chambers 
by  reputation.  He's  a  square  man  and  has  a  level 
head.  His  wife,  I  hear,  is  a  good  deal  of  th'  same 
kind.  They  could  be  right  up  on  top  in  society,  as 
they  say,  if  they  wanted  to.  But  they  don't  seem  to 
care  so  much  for  that  crowd  that  they  can't  have  a 
lot  of  friends  that  ain't  so  tony.  They're  in  th'  band 
wagon  themselves,  but  they  know  people  of  all  sorts 
— '  brown-stonters  and  footmen  ' — everyday  folk — 
and '-plain  people  without  anything  but  an  honest 
name  and  a  house  number — like  you  and  me."  He 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  identification. 

Kate  laughed  with  him.  Then  she  said  quickly, 
"  Jimmy,  you  know  a  lot  about — everything." 

"  Oh,  some  things,"  he  retorted  lightly.  And, 
more  gravely,  "  But  don't  you  worry  about  this  girl 
business.  Jack  can't  do  better  than  go  round  with 
th'  right  sort  of  girl.  If  it  ever  comes  to  anything 
that  girl  '11  treat  him  th'  way  he  deserves;  and,  as 
Mr.  Chambers  is  her  uncle  I  don't  think  there'll  be 
any  row  raised." 

"  A  dressmaker's  son — "  ventured  Kate  doubt 
fully. 

"  Is  good  enough  for  anybody,  if  he's  straight  and 
has  got  th'  education  Jack  has.  Now,  don't  talk  any 
more  that  way;  it  makes  me  mad  clear  through.  If 
there's  any  trouble,  you  watch  me  pile  right  into 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  228 

it.  But  there  won't  be.  I've  sized  up  Chambers ;  he 
fills  th'  bill.  If  Jack  behaves  himself  and  th'  girl 
comes  to  like  him  enough — why  Jack  Doran  '11  be 
Jack  Doran,  and  that's  all  there'll  be  to  it.  Anyway, 
that's  going  to  be  a  long  time  ahead  of  where  we 
are  now.  What  we  want  to  do  is  to  help  Jack  all  we 
can — at  home.  He  can  do  more  for  himself  outside 
than  we  can.  Don't  say  a  word  about  his  going  to 
see  that  Miss  Struthers.  She  won't  eat  him.  But 
keep  up  his  spirits  while  she's  away.  Low  spirits  are 
like  laziness — good  ground  to  grow  trouble.  Work's 
good  for  him;  that  fills  in  th'  daytime.  What  did 
you  say  he  does  in  th'  evenings?  " 

"  He  belongs  to  a  club,  for  one  thing.  He  spends 
much  of  his  time  at  the  Webster  Literary  and  De 
bating  Club.  You've  heard  of  it,  of  course.  I 
hadn't  before  Jack  told  me  about  it ;  but,  he  says,  that 
some  of  the  cleverest  fellows  he  knows  go  there. 
Anyway,  I'm  sure  it's  a  great  deal  better  for  him 
than  running  on  the  street.  Jack  never  dissipates. 
The  worst  he  ever  does  is  to  play  a  game  of  billiards. 
That's  not  very  bad,  now,  is  it?"  Her  voice  was 
vibrant  with  pride. 

"  Kate !  Kate !  "  said  Jimmy  to  himself.  Then,  as 
he  watched  her,  her  eyes  shining,  something  got  the 
matter  with  his  own,  and  he  excused  her  blindness. 
Nor  should  she  be  any  the  wiser,  if  he  could  help 
it,  he  decided.  "  Yes,  Jack's  heart  is  in  th'  right 
place,  and  he  ought  to  get  ahead,"  he  told  her. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  229 

But  Kate  thought  the  words  spoken  a  little  me 
chanically,  under  the  circumstances.  She  wondered 
that  Jimmy  should  seem  to  take  such  scanty  interest 
in  Jack's  pursuits. 

If  she  had  seen  Jack  and  Jimmy  one  afternoon, 
not  long  afterward,  she  might  have  changed  her 
mind.  It  was  in  Jimmy's  office  at  the  Bank. 

"  Jack,"  said  Jimmy,  "  th'  note-teller's  place  is 
going  to  be  vacant  at  th'  end  of  this  month.  Calkins 
has  resigned.'' 

"  Resigned !  "  Jack,  at  a  sudden  recollection, 
looked  startled.  Calkins  had  been  note-teller  at  the 
Bank  for  six  years  almost,  and  was  a  particular  crony 
of  his.  It  was  Calkins  who  had  introduced  him 
into  one  very  pleasant  place. 

"  Yes,  resigned,"  said  Jimmy.  "  Th'  fact  is,  he 
was  asked  to  resign.  He  was  doin'  things  that  you 
can't  do  in  this  bank,  and  stay  here.  For  one  thing, 
I  found  out  that  he  was  a  member  of  th'  Webster 
Literary  and  Debating  Club — I  think  that  was  th' 
name  of  it.  At  least,  it  wasn't  nothin'  but  a  gam 
bling  den.  That  ended  Calkins !  " 

Jimmy  was  looking  directly  at  Jack  but  he  did 
not  seem  to  notice  that  the  latter's  hands  were  trem 
bling.  He  went  on  in  an  even  voice.  "  Of  course, 
there  ain't  a  word  to  be  said  about  this.  Specially 
don't  speak  of  it  to  Calkins.  I'm  telling  you  about 
it,  because — well,  as  much  as  anything  else,  be 
cause — 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  230 

"  I  won't ! — I  give  you  my  word  I  won't — "  be 
gan  Jack. 

Jimmy  caught  him  up  briskly.  "  No,  you  don't 
need  to  say  that.  I  know  you  won't — repeat  what 
I've  been  saying  to  you.  I  trust  you,  my  boy. 
That's  a  good  deal.  Trust  is  a  lot  like  money.  As 
long  as  you've  got  it  you  can  do  business ;  if  you  lose 
it,  nobody  wants  to  have  much  to  do  with  you.  And 
trust's  easier  to  lose  than  money  is — sometimes ;  and 
it's  scarcer,  too.  So  you  want  to  keep  tight  hold  of 
what  you've  got.  That's  what  I'm  trying  to  do — 
here — in  th'  Bank.  You  know  how  I  stand  with  th' 
Bank;  I  told  you  when  you  came  here.  My  word's 
pledged  to  steer  it  straight,  and  not  let  anybody  lose 
money  in  it.  There's  a  pile  of  people  willing  to  bank 
on  that,  too.  But — ,  well,  I  didn't  start  in  to  preach ; 
I  told  you  about  Calkins,  because  I  wanted  you  to 
know  what  it  was  that  knocked  him  out,  and — 
made  th'  place  that  you're  to  fill — I  hope." 

"Me?  Note-teller?  His  place?"  Jack  in  an 
instant  was  lifted  from  trembling  fear  to  a  pitch 
of  delight  that  made  him  almost  speechless.  His 
eyes  grew  misty;  as  though  Jimmy  was  far  off, 
he  heard  him  answer : 

"  Yes,  at  least,  you're  to  be  acting  note-teller  till 
you  get  into  harness  and  show  that  you  can  fill  thj 
place  th'  way  it's  got  to  be  filled.  And — that's  all." 

Jimmy  turned  to  some  papers  on  his  desk.  Jack 
walked  away,  trying  to  put  his  gratitude  into  words. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  231 

As  he  reached  the  door  he  was  able  to  say  /'  You 
know  how  much  I  think  of  this.  I  won't  forget 
what — what  you've  done  for  me.  I'll  be  the  kind 
you  want,  if  it's  in  me;  I  give  you  my  word!  " 

Jimmy  looked  up  quickly.  His  eyes  seemed  to 
Jack  to  bore  him  through.  "  All  right,"  he.  said 
slowly ;  "  I'll  take  your  word." 

That  night,  when  Jack  told  his  mother  of  his 
advancement  at  the  Bank,  he  said  nothing  of  the 
conversation  which  Jimmy  and  he  had  had.  After 
thinking  it  over  he  had  decided  that  Jimmy  would 
not  wish  him  to  refer  to  it  in  any  way.  If  he  did 
speak  of  it,  he  was  afraid  that  his  mother  might  get 
an  inkling  of  why  Calkins  was  to  leave  the  Bank; 
and  that — .  Well,  he  had  good  reasons  for  desiring 
to  keep  this  secret.  For  several  weeks  he  lived  in 
apprehension  lest  Calkins,  learning  who  was  to 
be  his  successor  at  the  Bank,  should,  from  spite, 
mention  certain  circumstances  which  were  in  his 
keeping. 

But  Calkins  said  nothing.  Some  one  had  taken 
precautions.  Calkins  had  been  told  that  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  asked  to  resign  should  not  be  men 
tioned  so  long  as  he  said  nothing  of  the  Webster 
Literary  and  Debating  Club  and  its  membership. 

But,  if  Jack  was  ignorant  of  this,  he  did  realize 
that  Jimmy  had  a  faculty  for  discovering  things 
that  seemed  well  hid,  and  that  a  big  heart  beat  in 
that  stumpy,  little  body,  and  that  a  clever  brain 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  232 

worked  behind  the  blue  eyes  which  peered  from  under 
their  thatch  of  brown  and  gray  and  were  so  set 
about  with  wrinkles.  He  told  his  mother  enthusi 
astically,  "  I  believe  Jimmy's  about  the  smartest  man 
I  know  of.  He's  good,  too,  though  they  do  call  him 
every  bad  name.  He's  a  boss,  and  he  makes  politics 
pay;  but,  they'll  be  no  better  off,  I'm  sure,  if  they 
knock  him  out  as  they  want  to." 


CHAPTER  XII  233 


CC^WTOU   don't  go   out   any   more   in   the   eve- 
1|         nings,"  remarked  Kate,  a  week  after  Jack 
had  been  promoted  at  the  Bank.     "  Have 
you  gone  back  on  those  friends  ?  " 

"  Not  on  my  best  friends,"  he  answered.  "  And  I 
like  to  be  home." 

"With  me?  You  thought  I  was  lonely!  That's 
the  real  reason.  And  I  never  thought  of  it  !  " 

Jack  said  nothing,  but  even  his  silence  reproached 
him.  His  mother's  heart  put  another  construction 
upon  his  silence.  "  God  Bless  him  !  He's  a  good 
son,"  she  said  to  herself.  She  went  over  to  him,  and 
put  both  arms  about  him  in  a  mother  hug.  Recol 
lection  of  his  deceit  stung  him  cruelly  then.  He 
wondered  how  he  could  have  taken  advantage  of  her 
trust.  But  that  was  all  behind  him  now,  and  he 
meant  that  it  should  stay  there.  Yet  he  knew  that 
this  would  not  be  without  a  struggle.  There  were 
times  when  a  strange  weakness  stole  upon  him. 
Then  he  hardly  understood  himself.  At  such  times 
his  mother's  figure  was  obscured  and  he  forgot  her 
words.  When  these  spells  fell  upon  him  the  present 
—  an  easy  going  present  in  which  he  gratified  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  234 

whim  of  the  moment  and  was  carried  away  by  the 
excitement  which  he  sometimes  craved — was  all 
with  which  he  concerned  himself.  The  atmosphere 
of  the  Webster  Literary  and  Debating  Club  had  been 
congenial  to  this  agreeable  forgetfulness.  As  the 
best  way  to  fortify  himself  against  its  attractions  he 
was  resolved  to  throw  himself  into  his  work  with 
redoubled  energy.  The  evenings  he  would  spend  in 
his  mother's  company  until — until  She  came  back  to 
the  city.  He  felt  that  in  Her  company  he  was 
safe. 

Her  letters  to  him  had  been  few  and  filled  to  the 
brim  most  often  with  the  names  and  news  of  people 
of  whom  he  had  never  heard.  She  appeared  to  be 
supremely  happy.  And  that  did  not  seem  just  right 
to  him.  He  tormented  himself  trying  to  decide  what 
relation  her  happiness  bore  to  the  persons  who 
figured  frequently  in  her  letters.  Many  of  the  things 
these  persons  did  seemed  silly  to  him,  the  things 
they  said  inane.  He  wondered  that  she  should  take 
the  slightest  interest  in  them.  But  he  read  her  ac 
counts  of  them  over  and  over. 

His  own  letters  were  often  doleful  and  sometimes 
foolish.  They  were  always  serious.  These  epistles 
made  plain  that  two  buildings  remained  standing 
in  the  city — the  Bank  and  his  own  home.  Occa 
sionally  it  appeared  that  the  Chambers'  mansion  also 
had  existence,  though  solely  as  a  place  of  melancholy 
reflection.  The  people  remaining  in  the  city  were 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  235 

the  writer,  his  mother,  the  writer,  Jimmy,  the  writer 
and — the  writer.  The  rest  of  the  world  was  con 
gregated  at  the  place  to  which  he  addressed  his 
letters. 

But  in  the  latter  part  of  September  the  letters 
ceased;  in  a  day  the  city  became  populous,  and  the 
sun  shone  bravely  once  more  over  a  long  desolated 
place.  Jack  came  home  late  on  that  afternoon,  his 
face  glowing,  a  joyous  note  in  his  voice.  Before  he 
had  spoken,  his  mother  said,  "  Well,  what  kind  of  a 
time  did  they  have?  " 

"  Oh,  splendid,"  he  replied.  "  But  she's  very  glad 
to  get  back.  I  saw  her  at  the  station.  She's  burnt 
brown ;  her  hair  's  darker.  She's  taller  than  she  was. 
She  said  I  was  taller,  too.  I'm  glad  I'm  not  short. 
She's  going  to  be  home  all  winter.  She's  coming 
out  in  society.  She  wrote  me  a  letter  that  I  never 
got,  and  one  of  mine  she  never  got.  Wasn't  it 

queer?  She "  He  swallowed  the  rest  with  a 

gulp  of  tea  which — made  his  face  red. 

His  mother  remarked  that  she  was  glad  to  hear 
that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chambers  had  had  such  a  pleas 
ant  summer.  But  her  gentle  irony  was  wasted.  Jack 
already  had  opened  a  new  budget  of  the  historic 
sayings  and  doings  of  The  Only  Girl.  He  was  blind 
to  the  smile  upon  his  listener's  face.  His  enthusiasm 
and  delight  reasserted  themselves  in  boyish  fashion. 
The  supper  was  a  monologue  before  an  audience  of 
one. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  236 

A  week  later  Jack  received  an  invitation  to  dinner. 
It  was  extended  informally  by  Mrs.  Chambers.  Yet 
for  two  days  before  the  night,  the  subject  of  male 
attire  was  discussed  in  every  bearing.  Kate  was 
posted  on  the  latest  fashions.  It  required  all  her  tact 
and  motherly  persuasion  to  withhold  him  from  the 
purchase  of  a  "  swallow  tail."  At  first  he  was  sure 
that  his  fortunes  were  irretrievably  ruined  if  he  wore 
the  cutaway  coat  whose  acquisition  had  marked  the 
attainment  of  his  majority. 

When  he  arrived  at  his  host's  house,  and  saw  that 
Mr.  Chambers  and  Mr.  Joseph  Gans,  the  other  guest 
were  not  in  evening  dress,  he  experienced  a  relief 
inexpressible. 

It  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  in  the  house  since 
Molly's  return.  He  was  delighted  to  find  that  his 
place  at  the  table  was  next  to  hers.  But  he  was  made 
somewhat  nervous  by  his  surroundings.  The  burn 
ished  mahogany  with  its  freight  of  silver  and  cut 
glass,  the  cabinets  of  delicate  china  and  crystal,  the 
plate  racks  on  the  walls,  the  ebon  butler  of  majestic 
port  and,  most  of  all,  the  table  itself  with  its  plate 
and  glass  and  a  great  bowl  of  loose  roses  in  the  cen 
ter  foreshadowed  a  ceremonial  which  made  him  un 
comfortable.  He  was  afraid  that  he  would  not  come 
out  of  it  gracefully.  And  under  Her  eyes !  He  was 
puzzled  by  the  ranks  of  forks  and  knives  at  his  place; 
he  opened  his  napkin,  unprepared  for  the  enclosure 
of  bread,  and  flushed  when  it  fell  on  his  lap. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  237 

But  the  apparent  inattention  to  his  awkwardness 
steadied  him ;  and  he  was  quick  to  take  the  cue  from 
Molly.  For  some  reason  her  fingers  always  sought 
the  right  knife  and  fork  just  a  trifle  earlier  than  did 
those  of  the  other  diners. 

Mrs.  Chambers  began  to  chat  with  him  about  him 
self  and  things  with  which  he  was  familiar ;  and  this 
conversation,  being  conducted  across  Molly,  the 
latter  was  drawn  into  it.  Jack's  embarrassment 
rapidly  dissipated.  By  the  time  the  roast  was  served 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  that,  next  to  Molly  and  his 
own  mother,  his  hostess  was  the  loveliest  woman 
in  the  world.  He  found  himself  telling  her  many 
things  about  himself  and  his  life;  she  seemed  to  un 
derstand  him.  He  felt  no  shame  of  these  confidences; 
Molly's  bright  eyes  approved. 

When  .Mrs.  Chambers  turned  to  Mr.  Cans  who, 
tall,  portly  and  grave,  sat  on  her  right  hand,  Molly 
and  Jack  began  to  talk  of  what  she  had  been  doing 
that  summer.  From  her  lips  this  all  seemed  new. 
He  also  had  something  important  to  tell  her,  but  he 
postponed  that. 

He  noticed  that  she  was  more  subdued  and  formal 
than  before  she  went  away;  there  was  a  something 
subtle  in  her  manner  and  voice  which  deepened  her 
fascination,  yet  made  him  a  little  afraid  of  her.  But, 
presently,  Mrs.  Chambers  engaged  Molly's  attention, 
and  he  became  a  listener  to  the  conversation  at  the 
other  end  of  the  table.  Mr.  Cans  and  Mr.  Chambers 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  238 

were  talking  politics.  It  was  the  former's  favorite 
topic.  "  Devlin/'  he  was  saying,  "  is,  in  some  re 
spects,  a  remarkable  man.  I  have  known  him  per 
sonally,  in  a  way,  for  many  years.  He  saved  my  son 
from  drowning  when  they  both  were  boys,  but  he 
made  no  allusion  to  it  for  some  time.  When  the 
occasion  served  he  made  that  rescue  the  lever  to  get 
what  he  wanted.  It  was  characteristic  of  him.  But, 
of  course,  that  was  before  I  became  an  '  independ 
ent  '  in  politics." 

"  Now  you  are  at  swords'  points?  "  remarked  Mr. 
Chambers. 

"  No,  Devlin  and  I  speak  when  we  come  across 
each  other.  As  a  man  I  find  him  interesting.  But 
as  a  politician " 

"  Dangerous  ?  He  will  not  be  content,  I  think,  to 
stop  where  he  is  ?  " 

"  Exactly.  He  intends  to  be  the  Boss.  He  will 
clear  the  way  for  that  sooner  or  later.  Then  will 
come  the  supreme  struggle." 

"  You  fellows  in  the  Citizens'  League  ought  to 
gird  up  your  loins  against  the  day." 

"  We  are  doing  all  that  we  can.  We  constitute 
practically  the  only  opposition  to  him.  The  minor 
ity  party  is  a  tool  in  his  hands.  It  represents  a  hope 
less  cause  in  this  city.  Its  success  depends  upon  his 
cooperation.  When  it  can  be  useful  to  him,  he 
cooperates.  The  real  struggle — when  it  comes  to  a 
head — will  be  between  the  reform  element  and  its 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  239 

allies,  and  Devlin's  forces.  As  I  forecast  the  situ 
ation  it  is  not  far  off,  either." 

"  Not  in  the  City  election  this  autumn  ?  There 
seems  to  be  a  clear  understanding  on  the  nominations 
for  Sheriff  and  other  officers." 

"  No,  I  was  not  referring  to  the  City  election. 
That  rascal  Johnson  whom  they  will  put  up  for 
Sheriff  suits  the  Minority  party — so  the  opposition 
to  us  will  be  practically  solid.  It  is  in  the  character 
of  Devlin's  present  ally — Walsh — that  the  promise  of 
a  division  lies.  Walsh  is  keen  and  ambitious.  He 
will  not  always  be  content  to  be  the  subordinate; 
and  Devlin  plans  that  he  shall  be  nothing  more. 
There  will  be  lively  times  when  they  clash.  That 
will  be  our  chance." 

"Who  will  win?" 

Mr.  Gans  raised  his  eyebrows  deprecatingly. 

"  I  mean  do  you  think  Devlin  is  invincible?  " 

"  No,  but  strong,  and  every  day,  as  things  are  at 
present,  he's  growing  stronger.  No  man  can  say  how 
long  and  binding  are  the  lines  which  he  has  out.  He 
has  made  the  fortunes  of  a  good  many  men,  the  mis 
fortunes  of  some.  He  is  strongest  often  in  the 
quarters  one  would  least  suspect.  Many  big  corpora 
tions  are  his  allies  perforce.  He  has  money,  and 
is  always  willing  to  put  it  out  in  the  '  public  interest.' 
Now  there's  the  Central  Railroad " 

"  The  Central  Railroad  has  not  been  touched  by 
him,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,"  replied  Mr.  Chambers 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  240 

quickly.     "  We  are  an  old  corporation.     Our  rights 
were  established  before  Devlin  came  into  power." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  intended  no  imputation.  But 
some  day — we'll  see !  Devlin  will  make  the  oppor 
tunity  for  you  to  call  upon  him — when  he  needs 
you.  And  you  will  have  to  accept  the  offer.  Then 
we  shall  have  you  defending  him." 

"  I  do  not  think  we  shall  ever  be  involved  with 
him  in  that  way.  As  for  defending  him,  personally 
I  am  often  inclined  to  do  that  now.  I  think  Devlin 
has  his  share  of  good  qualities.  But — they  don't 
show  on  the  surface." 

Jack  wanted  to  thank  Mr.  Chambers  for  the 
speech.  He  felt  a  growing  dislike  for  the  bearded 
Gans.  He  would  have  said  something  himself  in 
Jimmy's  defence  if  he  had  known  more  of  poli 
tics. 

"  I  agree  with  you  that  Devlin  is  not  all  bad,"  con 
tinued  Mr.  Gans.  "  That  is  why  he  is  dangerous. 
It  is  his  virtues,  if  you  can  call  them  such,  which 
have  tightened  his  grip.  What  does  he  command 
to-day?  The  Water  Trust — a  political  machine  of 
enormous  resources,  corrupt  with  abuses;  City 
Councils — for  the  most  part  at  his  beck  and  call  be 
cause  its  members  are  elected  at  his  direction;  sev 
eral  members  of  the  State  Administration  who  have 
a  lively  remembrance  of  his  labors  in  their  behalf 
at  election  time.  That  is  a  fairly  influential  list  of 
representatives,  don't  you  think  so?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  241 

Mr.  Chambers  nodded.  "  Besides  two  United 
States  Senators,"  he  appended. 

"  Corson  and  Mabie  ?  The  first  certainly ;  of 
Mabie's  friendship  for  Devlin  I  have  always  had 
my  doubts.  Mabie  is  too  domineering  to  work  long 
in  harness  with  Devlin.  But  Corson  and  Devlin 
are  hand-in-glove.  And  Corson  is  one  of  the 
shrewdest  and  most  unscrupulous  men  in  public  life 
to-day.  Did  you  know  he  was  indirectly  a  backer 
of  the  Union  Bank?" 

Jack  pricked  up  his  ears.  "  Yes,"  went  on  Mr. 
Gans,  "  he  is,  though  I  could  not  prove  the  con 
nection.  Corson  and  the  State  Treasurer  are  good 
friends — for  obvious  reasons.  So  the  Union  Bank 
gets — well,  it  gets  a  generous  share  of  the  State 
funds — in  deposits.  It  can  get  more,  too,  if  Devlin 
but  says  the  word.  But  Devlin's  a  queer  fellow 
about  some  things.  He  is  uncomfortably  blunt  in 
speech  sometimes.  They  say  that  Senator  Corson 
once  took  him  to  Washington — to  the  White  House. 
'  Mr.  President,'  said  Corson,  '  here  is  James  Devlin, 
who  has  never  been  known  to  break  his  word.' 

"  Devlin  bowed.  Then  with  solemn  face  he  said, 
'  I'm  sorry  that  I  can't  say  the  same  for  my  friend 
Corson,  Mr.  President.' 

"  Corson  knew  that  he  meant  it,  but  he  wasn't 
offended.  At  any  rate,  to-day,  when  we  fight  Devlin 
we  have  to  be  prepared  to  meet  also  the  ranks  of 
Corson's  federal  patronage  in  this  city." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  242 

Mr.  Chambers  suddenly  remembered  Jack's  pres 
ence  and  rebuked  himself  for  his  unintentional  dis 
courtesy.  He  looked  at  Jack.  The  latter  was  re 
garding  Cans  with  frank  dislike;  he  reddened  when 
he  saw  that  he  was  observed.  Mr.  Chambers  ex 
plained  to  Mr.  Cans,  "  Mr.  Doran,  here,  is  employed 
in  the  Union  Bank,  and  is  a  friend  of  Devlin's.  I 
suppose  we  owe  him  an  apology  for  criticizing  Dev 
lin  so  freely." 

Jack  tried  to  say  that  it  was  all  right ;  but  he  was 
but  little  appeased  by  Mr.  Gans's  rejoinder,  "  Why, 
I  don't  think  that  Devlin  himself  would  resent  what 
I  said.  The  relations  of  the  Bank  and  the  State  are 
a  matter  of  record  so  far  as  the  deposits  go.  Do 
you  know  your  President  personally?"  he  asked, 
turning  to  Jack. 

"  Why,  of  course,  he  does.  Mr.  Devlin  is  Mr. 
Doran's  best  friend.  He  is  going  to  be  one  of  my 
friends,  too,  I  hope,"  answered  Molly. 

Jack  gave  her  a  look  of  gratitude  which  he  did 
not  try  to  conceal  from  the  rest. 

"  So  you  are  going  into  politics  ?  "  said  Mr.  Gans, 
smiling.  "  You  will  be  an  outspoken  champion  at 
least." 

"  I'll  stand  up  for  those  who  are  honest  with  me 
and  good  to  others,"  she  retorted. 

"  There !  You  see !  "  Mr.  Gans  looked  at  his  host. 
"  Quid  pro  quo;  Devlin's  own  doctrine.  The  cardi 
nal  principle  of  every  successful  Boss." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  243 

"  Isn't  it  the  principle  underlying  all  business  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  it  can  be  abused." 

"  Mr.  Devlin  doesn't  abuse  it,"  put  in  Jack.  "  He 
gives  a  great  deal  to  people  who  do  nothing  for  him." 

"So?  "replied  Mr.  Cans. 

"It's  true;  I  know  it!"  returned  Jack  a  little 
hotly. 

Mrs.  Chambers  intervened.  She  rose  from  the 
table.  "  And  leave  politics  behind  you,"  she  warned. 

When  they  were  in  the  drawing-room  Molly  was 
asked  to  sing.  She  went  to  the  piano  at  once.  She 
had  a  clear,  sweet  soprano.  Jack  cast  a  withering 
glance  on  Mr.  Gans  who,  after  the  first  song,  re 
marked,  "  Your  daughter  has  a  good  voice,  Mrs. 
Chambers."  "Good!"  thought  Jack.  "What  is 
the  man  made  off  ?  It  is  celestial !  "  Yet  Gans  dared 
to  profane  the  period  of  a  second  song  with  a  low- 
toned  conversation. 

Molly  left  the  piano,  and  took  a  seat  on  a  sofa. 
Mrs.  Chambers  joined  her  husband  and  Mr.  Gans. 
Jack  went  over  to  Molly.  "  Will  you  sing  for  me 
sometime?"  he  asked. 

"  Sometime.    Did  you  hear  what  Mr.  Gans  said?  " 

"Yes;  it  disgusted  me." 

"  Why  ?  "  She  laughed.  "  He  is  quite  a  judge  of 
music." 

Jack  gasped.  "A  judge  of  music !  Why,  he  talked 
while  you  were  singing  the  second  time." 

"  Did  he?    It  was  good  of  him  to  listen  at  all." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  244 

There  was  no  reply  to  be  made  to  this  opinion 
coming  from  such  a  source.  "  Do  you  sing?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Not  a  note.  I  wish  I  did.  Do  you  like  to  hear 
other  people  sing?  " 

"  Yes, — some  people.   Now,  there's  Dick;  he " 

"  Can  he  sing?  " 

"  Didn't  you  know  it  ?    He's  got  a  fine  baritone." 

"  But  he's  got  a  mustache?  "  said  Jack  insinuat 
ingly.  He  awaited  her  identification  of  the  criti 
cism. 

"  Yes,  he's  got  a  mustache.  What  of  it?  "  she  re 
turned.  She  looked  surprised. 

"  Nothing,"  he  said  when  his  astonishment 
would  permit  him  to  speak.  How  short  was  the 
memory  of  woman!  Or — miserable  thought! — 
perhaps,  she  hadn't  meant  it  when  she  said  she 
thought  mustaches  were  hideous.  He  wished  he 
knew.  Then  he  realized  that,  after  all,  this  was  a 
childish  sort  of  spite. 

"  Do  you  play  the  piano  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"No,  I  don't  do  anything." 

"But  you  dance?" 

"  I — never  tried." 

"  Oh !  "  She  made  a  little  round  mouth.  "  I  never 
heard  of  such  a  thing!  You'll  have  to  learn." 

"  I  will,"  he  said;  and  he  meant  it,  though  he  had 
not  thought  of  it  seriously  until  that  moment. 

"  Tom  Rowell  was  the  best  dancer  I  knew  until  I 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  245 

met  a  man  at  Bar  Harbor  this  summer,"  she  went 
on.  "  He  was  perfectly  fine." 

"  Tell  me  something  more  about  Bar  Harbor,"  he 
urged.  Anything  to  get  away  from  Dick  Gans  and 
Tom  Rowell. 

She  entered  into  the  proposal  willingly,  and  he  lis 
tened.  But  Bar  Harbor  was  a  world  almost  unknown 
to  him,  inhabited  largely,  it  seemed,  by  men  in  whom 
Molly  took  a  deep  interest.  She  noticed  that  his 
attention  wandered.  "  You're  not  a  bit  interested," 
she  complained. 

"  Yes,  I  am,"  he  affirmed  feebly. 

"  No,  you  aren't.  I  shan't  tell  you  any  more.  I 
ought  to  go  over  and  talk  to  Mr.  Gans,  anyhow." 

"Please  don't."  His  alarm  was  so  palpable  that 
she  laughed.  "  Why  not?  "  she  asked. 

"  It — it's  so  much  pleasanter  here — where  you 
are." 

"  Then  I'll  ask  the  rest  to  come  here." 

"  No,  don't." 

"  But  it's  only  polite  to  do  it — if  this  is  the  best 
place  in  the  room." 

"  It  won't  be — when  someone  else  comes,"  he  de 
clared  boldly.  He  stole  a  look  at  her.  Her  eyes 
were  hidden,  but  she  did  not  appear  to  be  displeased. 
"  I  want  to  talk  to  you — alone,"  he  added.  He  re 
membered  that  he  had  not  yet  told  her  his  impor 
tant  news.  "  I've  had  very  good  luck,"  he  an 
nounced.  "  I've  got  an  advancement  at  the  Bank." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  246 

"  That's  good,"  she  replied.    "  What  is  it?  " 

"  I've  been  made  note-teller." 

"Is  that— high  up?" 

Somehow,  his  enthusiasm  cooled.  It  was  nat 
ural  that  she  should  ask  this,  yet  her  ignorance 
seemed  to  dwarf  the  new  position.  And  he  had 
built  so  many  dreams  upon  it!  "  No,  it  isn't  so  very 
high,"  he  said  slowly.  "  But  it's  a  considerable 
jump  for  a  fellow  who's  been  in  the  Bank  so  short  a 
time  as  I  have.  It's  in  line  for  promotion." 

"  I'm  very  glad,"  she  returned. 

It  had  been  his  intention  to  explain  to  her  the 
relation  which  the  various  positions  in  the  Bank 
bore  to  one  another,  and  to  make  plain  to  her  that 
advancement  from  the  place  of  note-teller  to  that  of 
President  was  a  mere  matter  of  time  together  with 
a  dozen  deaths,  removals  or  resignations.  But  the 
outlook  abruptly  had  lost  its  rosy  hue;  the  subject 
had  become  prosaic.  Again  he  realized  that  there 
had  been  a  change  in  Molly.  She  was  no  less  an 
ideal,  but  her  real  self  had  become  more  elusive. 
She  seemed  to  be  at  a  distance  from  him — to  be  an 
idol  to  be  worshipped  humbly.  He  regarded  her 
with  some  awe.  How  had  he  ever  ventured  to  think 
of  her  as  a  good  fellow  ? 

He  was  silent  so  long  that  she  said,  "  What  are 
you  thinking  about  ?  " 

"  About — you,"  he  declared,  and  trembled  at  his 
temerity. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  247 

"What  did  you  think  about  me?"  She  slipped 
a  small  ring  up  and  down  on  her  finger  and  studied 
it. 

"  I — I  don't  know — just  what."  It  was  the  last 
thing  he  meant  to  say. 

"Something— nice?" 

"  Of  course." 

"  Then  tell  me  about  it." 

He  wanted  to,  but  he  couldn't.  A  strange  fear 
was  on  him.  She  seemed  so  grown-up.  Urged  on 
by  his  desires,  restrained  by  a  dread  of  appearing 
ridiculous,  he  was  trying  to  frame  his  ideas,  when 
she  looked  up  and  exclaimed,  "  It's  stupid  here ! 
Let's  go  over,  and  talk  to  the  rest." 

"  No,  no.  Please  stay  here/'  he  said  quickly. 
"  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

"  Well,  go  on  then." 

"  But  I  can't — if — you  don't  say  something." 

"  I  have.     I  said  '  go  on.'  " 

"  But — you  know  what  I  mean,"  he  protested. 
"  You  must  talk,  too." 

"What  shall  I  say?" 

"  Anything,"  desperately. 

"  Very  well  then.  I'll  tell  you  a  story.  Once  upon 
a  time  there  was  a  girl  who  went  away  in  the 
summer." 

"To  the  Maine  coast?" 

"  Never  mind  where.  She  had  a  very  good  time. 
There  were  lots  of  men  there.  Some  of  them  were 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  248 

good  looking,  and  a  few — a  very  few — weren't  so 
good  looking.  They  seemed  to  like  this  girl.  I 
don't  know  why." 

"  I  do." 

"  Keep  quiet  now.  I  don't  know  why  they  liked 
this  girl.  I  suppose,  because  she  was  fond  of  danc 
ing  and  played  tennis  and  paddled  round  in  a  canoe 
and  liked  them — the  men,  I  mean.  Yes,  it  must 
have  been  that;  for  they  were  always  asking  her  to 
dance  and  talking  to  her  and  taking  her  in  their 
canoes.  At  least,  two  of  them — two*  of  the  men — 
did.  (Jack  squirmed.)  One  of  them  was  named — 
but  it  doesn't  matter  about  his  name.  We'll  call  him 
The  Best  Dancer  Ever  Was.  The  other — man — 
was  a  fine  canoe  paddler.  He  came  from  the  city 
where  the  girl  lived.  He  sang  well  and  was  tall  and 
had — light  hair  and " 

"  You  never  told  me  that  Mr.  Gans  was  there," 
muttered  Jack. 

"  You're  interrupting.  It  isn't  polite.  I  was 
going  to  say  that  this  girl  thought — But,  I  guess, 
you've  heard  enough.  Haven't  you?" 

Jack  wavered.  "  No,  go  on,"  he  said  abjectly. 
He  knew  that  if  she  did  not  tell  him,  the  rest  of 
his  life  would  be  a  torment  of  doubt." 

"Well,  then,"  she  went  on,  "the  girl  thought 
that  this  man  was  very — Let  me  see?  (Jack's  atten 
tion  was  startling.)  Very  good  fun.  She  had  lots 
of  good  times  with  him.  (Jack  groaned  inwardly.) 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  249 

And  a  few  days  after  she  came  home,  he  came 
home,  too.  He  asked  her  if  he  might  come  and  call 
on  her.  And  she  said — No.  It  was  for  this  evening, 
too,  by  the  way.  Now — why  do  you  suppose  she 
said  he  couldn't  call?" 

Jack,  in  an  ecstacy,  did  not  dare  to  give  his  own 
explanation.  The  transition  from  dull  despair  had 
paralyzed  his  tongue  momentarily. 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  she  said.  "  But  you  mustn't  tell 
anyone."  She  leaned  toward  him  and  put  her  mouth 
close  to  his  ear,  so  close  that  he  fancied  a  loose  curl 
brushed  his  cheek  an  instant.  "  It  was  because," 
she  whispered;  "because  another  man  was  coming 

that  evening.    And  she "   It  grew  upon  Jack,  in 

the  moment  in  which  she  hesitated,  that  all  the  in-- 
terests  of  life  had  come  to  a  point.     "  And  she — she 
liked  this    other    man    ever  so  much.      His  name 
was " 

"Who?"  cried  Jack  in  a  voice  of  such  dreadful 
agitation  that  Mrs.  Chambers  looked  quickly  round. 

Molly  had  straightened  up.  She  was  twirling  the 
ring  on  her  finger.  "  His  name  was  Mr.  Joseph 
Cans,"  she  said  collectedly.  "  And  I  must  go  over 
and  talk  to  him  right  away." 

Jack  collapsed.  Nor  did  he  ever  know  all  that  his 
outcry  accomplished. 

One  thing  that  it  did  accomplish  was  to  bring  about 
a  more  definite  understanding  between  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Chambers  as  to  his  future  visits  to  the  house.  It 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  250 

awoke  in  Mrs.  Chambers's  heart  the  same  instinct 
which  had  alarmed  Kate  when  Jack  first  talked  of 
Molly.  That  evening,  after  their  guests  had  gone, 
Jack  was  weighed  in  the  balance  of  a  consultation 
between  his  host  and  hostess. 

"  I  have  always  agreed  with  you,"  said  Mrs. 
Chambers,  "  that  we  should  judge  people  by  their 
personal  worth.  No  one  has  found  our  doors  closed 
because  of  what  their  forefathers  were,  or  because 
of  their  social  standing,  or  fortune.  But,  when  it 
comes  to  Molly !  " 

"Molly?"  Mr.  Chambers  repeated  wonderingly. 
There  is  an  astigmatism  in  man's  vision  which  is 
revealed  to  women  when  he  cites  the  evidence  of  his 
eyes  in  an  argument  of  this  kind.  So,  now,  when 
Mr.  Chambers  protested,  "  Molly  ?  And  that  boy, 
Jack  Doran  ?  It's  absurd !  "  Mrs.  Chambers  merely 
raised  her  brows,  and  was  not  dissuaded. 

"  Nevertheless,"  she  returned,  "  this  is  a  question 
I  want  you  to  answer.  Young  Mr.  Doran's  mother 
is  a  seamstress — a  good  woman,  I  have  no  doubt; 
but  in  birth,  education,  environment  and  ideals,  very 
different  from  Molly.  His  father,  from  all  I  have 
learned,  is — unmentionable.  The  friend  of  the 
family  is — J.  Devlin — Boss.  If  inheritance,  sur 
roundings  and  the  company  of  his  patron  have  any 
influence  on  the  boy,  is  he  likely  to  be  just  the  one  for 
our  Molly?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  251 

"  But  it's  sheer  nonsense  to  look  at  him  in  the  light 
of — in  that  way." 

"  Perhaps,  but  give  me  your  opinion." 

Mr.  Chambers  was  silent  for  a  minute.  Then  he 
said  slowly,  "  If  the  boy  himself  is  all  right,  and 
Molly  comes  to — to  love  him — if  that  is  what  you 
mean .  Well,  what  would  you  say  then?" 

"  I  would  say  God  bless  them !  and  do  all  I  could 
to  make  them  happy,"  she  answered  earnestly. 

Her  husband  looked  straightly  at  her.  "  Where 
did  you  find  out  all  this  about  young  Doran's  par 
ents?" 

"  Much  of  it  from  himself.  Tom  Rowell  started 
me  thinking.  He  told  me  some  things ;  I  asked  him 
about  others." 

"  Doubtless,  they  are  all  true,"  replied  Mr. 
Chambers.  "  But  let  us  give  the  boy  a  chance  to  prove 
himself.  Isn't  that  fair?  Besides  Molly  is  very 
young  yet." 

"  She  has  grown  years  older  this  summer.  One 
or  two  things  she  said  about  young  Cans  opened  my 
eyes.  He  is  very  attentive  to  her.  That  is  another 
reason  why  Molly  shouldn't  see  too  much  of  this  Mr. 
Doran — if  we  are  not  going  to  approve  of  him — 
later  on.  It  is  for  his  sake  as  well  as  hers." 

"  Yes;  that  is  right.  But  I  am  not  ready  to  say 
that  I  do  not  approve  of  him." 

"  Nor  am  I.    We  must  find  out  all  we  can  of  his 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  252 

life  and  ideals.  And  especially  of  the  company  he 
keeps." 

"  Which  fits  well  with  a  proposition  I  have  to 
make,"  he  replied.  "  What  would  you  say  to  asking 
his  patron — Devlin  here  to — dinner,  we  will  say?" 

Mrs.  Chambers  made  a  little  grimace.  "  Do  you 
mean  that?  " 

"  I  do.  It  isn't  altogether  an  unselfish  plan,  I'll 
admit.  I  want  to  meet  this  man;  he  interests  me. 
And  the  only  way  in  which  I  can  talk  to  him  as  I 
wish  is  to  have  him  here.  Nor  do  I  think  he  will  be 
offensive.  In  any  event  we  need  not  ask  him  again, 
if  you  do  not  wish  it.  But,  aside  from  all  this 
wouldn't  it  afford  a  good  chance  to  find  out  what 
influences  he  brings  to  bear  on  young  Doran  ?  I  im 
agine  Devlin  is  the  sort  of  man  who  would  leave  his 
mark  upon  anyone  who  stands  as  close  to  him  as 
this  boy  appears  to  stand." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Mrs.  Chambers  reflectively. 
"  But  a  political  Boss !  What  will  they  say  of  us 
after  this?  " 

"  Do  you  care  if  we  are  satisfied  ?  "  Mr.  Cham 
bers  knew  that  the  day  was  won. 

"  No,  but — well,  the  cultivation  of  incongruities, 
as  they  are  called,  seems  to  be  our  bent.  So  let  us 
have  '  J.  Devlin — Boss  ' — if  he  will  come." 

"  He  will  come,  I  think,"  returned  Mr.  Chambers. 
"  I  have  an  idea  that  his  watch  over  that  boy  takes 
a  form  not  unlike  our  watch  over  Molly.  Preposter- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  253 

ous  as  it  may  sound,  he  may  be  as  anxious  to  take  the 
measure  of  Jack  Doran's  new  friends  as  we  are  to 
find  out  about  Molly's." 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  sighed  Mrs.  Chambers  in  comic  de 
spair.  "  You  will  be  attributing  the  graces  of  a 
Bayard  to  him  next." 

"  Let  us  judge  of  that  for  ourselves,"  concluded 
her  husband,  laughing. 

On  Jack's  next  visit  Mr.  Chambers  broached  the 
subject  of  inviting  Jimmy  to  dine  with  them.  "  In 
formally,  of  course,"  he  added.  "  If  you  will  come 
with  him  our  party  will  be  complete." 

Jack  made  his  delight  very  plain.  He  was  prouder 
of  Jimmy  than  any  one  knew.  In  the  first  flush  it  did 
not  occur  to  him  that  Jimmy  might  not  shine  here 
as  elsewhere.  When  a  doubt  did  flash  upon  him  his 
face  clouded.  "  I'll  ask  him,"  he  said.  "  I  hope 
he  can  come." 

"  But  he  must  come,"  insisted  Molly. 

"  He's  so  busy,  you  see,"  began  Jack  apologeti 
cally.  It  was  the  first  excuse  that  suggested  it 
self. 

"  He  is  coming,"  announced  Molly.  A  sparkling 
look  told  him  that  she  had  some  plan.  As  he  was 
about  to  leave  that  evening  she  put  an  envelope  into 
his  hand.  "  It's  my  invitation,"  she  said.  "  Give  it 
to — Jimmy.  Don't  you  dare  look  at  it." 

But  when  Jack  delivered  Mr.  Chambers's  message, 
Jimmy  looked  grave.  He  told  Jack  to  thank  Mr. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  254 

Chambers.  He  could  not  accept  his  invitation  just 
then;  he  was  too  busy. 

"  But  here's  a  note  for  you/'  said  Jack.  "  Read 
that  first." 

Jimmy  read  the  note  with  twinkling  eyes.  He 
handed  it  to  Jack  who  read  it.  It  was  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  MR.  DEVLIN  : 

"  I  want  you  to  see  what  an  honored  place  you 
have  in  my  autograph  collection.  So  you  must  ac 
cept  my  Uncle's  invitation.  Be  ready  to  tell  me  all 
about  politics  and  how  it  feels  to  be  a  Boss.  I  shall 
expect  you. 

"  Yours  sincerely 

"  MOLLY  STRUTHERS." 

Jimmy  had  been  watching  Jack's  face.  Something 
he  saw  there  brought  a  light  into  his  own  such  as 
only  Kate  had  seen.  It  was  the  same  look  which 
had  softened  his  mouth  and  suffused  his  eyes  when 
he  leaned  over  Jack,  then  a  baby  in  his  crib. 

So,  now,  when  Jack  raised  his  eyes,  and  begged, 
"  Jimmy,  you  will  go,  won't  you  ?  I  want  you  to 
meet  Miss  Struthers,"  Jimmy  said  slowly,  "  Yes,  I 
guess  I'll  have  to,  after  all.  But  it  can't  be  till  after 
election.  I've  got  more  to  do  than  I  can  get  through 
with  at  nights.  You  tell  Mr.  Chambers  that  I'll  be 
glad  to  come  then — if  th'  invitation  holds  good. 
And  tell  Miss  Struthers  for  me  that  I'll  find  out  all 
I  can  meanwhile  about  Bosses  to  tell  her." 


I 


CHAPTER  XIII  255 

C  4  "|~  SEE  that  Walsh  has  got  what  he  was  itching 
for."  The  speaker  was  Senator  Corson. 
He  sat  at  a  table  in  his  usual  hotel  room; 
beside  him  was  Jimmy.  It  was  a  week  after  the  last 
of  the  autumn  primary  elections  had  been  held. 

"  Yes/'  said  Jimmy.  "  He  got  th'  nomination 
for  Sheriff.  A  nice  rumpus  it's  stirred  up.  It's 
come  out,  so  far,  just  as  I  told  him  it  would." 

The  Senator  was  regarding  Jimmy  closely.  "  As 
you  told  him?  "  he  said.  "  Then  you  couldn't  per 
suade  Johnson  to  withdraw." 

'  You  see  for  yourself.  Johnson  was  stubborn. 
Th'  fact  is  he  had  been  promised  th'  place.  Th'  mi 
nority  party  had  agreed  to  support  him,  if  he  needed 
it.  So  he  got  his  back  up  when  I  told  him  that  we'd 
have  to  give  Walsh  th'  party  nomination.  He  said 
he  was  in  th'  fight  to  stay — Walsh  or  no  Walsh.  He 
had  a  good  card  to  play,  too.  Th'  minority  party  had 
all  lines  out  for  him,  and  he  was  a  stronger  man 
than  they  could  find  in  their  own  crowd.  So  they 
agreed  to  stick  by  him  when  I — when  Walsh  came 
into  th'  field.  Th'  result  is  there's  two  tickets  in  th' 
race,  besides  that  of  th'  Reformers ; — Johnson  with  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  256 

big  personal  backing  and  th'  minority  organization, 
and— and— Walsh." 

The  Senator's  eyelids  fluttered  "  And  you  back 
of  Walsh?  "  he  said  quietly. 

"  I'm  back  of  th'  nominee  of  my  own  people,  of 
course,"  answered  Jimmy  without  flinching.    "  But 
you  understand  what  we're  in  for,"  he  went  on. 
"  And  at  th'  worst  time,  too — with  a  National  elec 
tion  that'll  keep  us  all  on  th'  jump  only  a  year  away." 

f<  Things  '11  quiet  down  locally  by  then,"  said  the 
Senator.  This  time  his  eyelids  dropped.  But  Jimmy 
kept  his  eyes  on  the  other's  face.  "  Maybe,"  he  said. 
"  But  there's  goin'  to  be  th'  biggest  kind  of  a  row 
first." 

"  So  ?  "  The  lowered  eyelids  were  raised  and 
dropped  again.  Jimmy's  glance  was  unwavering. 
The  fox  watched  the  fox,  each  in  his  own  way. 
"  Personally,"  Jimmy  said,  "  I'm  afraid  Walsh  is 
goin'  to  have  a  hard  fight  to  get  in." 

The  Senatorial  tongue  clacked.  Jimmy  apparently 
heard  it  not.  "  You  know,  I'm  as  cautious  as  Walsh 
is  sometimes  cock-sure,"  he  explained.  "  So,  when 
he  says  '  I'll  be  elected  without  turning  a  hair/  I  say, 
'  you'll  have  a  pile  of  scratching  to  do  to  get  in  at 
all.'  " 

"  A  purely  personal  opinion  ?  " 

"  Entirely  so." 

For  a  minute  there  was  silence.  The  Senator 
pursed  his  lips.  "  Well,  I  hope  Walsh  won't  be — 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  257 

disappointed,"  he  remarked.  A  sidelong  glance  un 
der  his  lids  met  Jimmy's  vacant  look  half  way.  With 
that  the  subject  of  Walsh's  chances  was  dropped. 

Presently,  the  Senator  hoisted  himself  in  his  chair 
by  his  elbows,  and  gave  an  introductory  cough. 
"  The  State  Treasury  receipts  have  been  heavy 
lately/'  he  observed. 

"Have  they?" 

"  Yes,  and,  of  course,  a  part  of  them  has  to  be 
banked." 

Jimmy's  head  was  inclined,  and  the  Senator  went 
on  reflectively,  as  if  the  -topic  was  one  of  casual 
interest,  "  What's  the  balance  of  the  State  in  the 
Union  Bank — roughly,  I  mean?  " 

Jimmy  named  it  in  round  figures.  The  Senator 
caught  his  lip  between  his  teeth.  "  I  thought  it  was 
larger,"  he  commented.  "  I  understand  they  think 
of  increasing  it." 

"  I  hadn't  heard  of  it." 
•  "  It's  so.    What  do  you  think  of  it?  " 

"What  do  you?" 
I  should  say — take  the  money,  if  it's  offered." 

"Why?" 

"  Speaking  as  a  friend?  " 

Jimmy  smiled.    "  No,  in  the — public  interest." 

"  I  should  advise  taking  it  because  the  Union 
Bank  is  a  safe  institution  and " 

Jimmy  waited  with  an  aspect  of  patience,  but 
chafed  at  this  polite  and  meaningless  preamble. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  258 

"  And  because,"  the  Senator  went  on,  after  consider 
ing  his  words,  "  We  want  you  to  stand  as  well  be 
fore  the  people  of  this  city  as  is  possible.  A  weak 
ness  in  the  Bank  might  be  ammunition  for  the  oppo 
sition.  As  you  said  a  while  ago,  we'll  need  all  of  our 
strength  in  the  National  election  next  November." 

"  At  th'  State  Convention  for  representatives  to 
the  National  Convention,  you  mean,"  amended 
Jimmy.  "  That's  th'  nut  to  be  cracked.  And  Mabie 
wants  th'  kernel."  It  was  an  exposure  of  the  Sena 
tor's  motives  which  forced  a  thin  smile  to  his  mouth. 
"  But,"  continued  Jimmy,  and  his  voice  uncon 
sciously  grew  proud,  "  As  to  th'  Union  Bank  you 
need  have  no  fears.  You  know,  that  I  stand  behind 
that  institution  in  person.  It  doesn't  have  to  rely  on 
State  deposits." 

"  But  it  won't  refuse  them,"  added  the  Senator, 
"  Every  bank  of  repute  wants  the  deposits,  and  some 
of  them  get  them.  You  can't  mean  that  you  want 
the  State's  account  at  the  Union  Bank  withdrawn?  " 

"  No.  What  I  do  want  is  to  know  what  is  ex 
pected  in  return  for  th'  increase  of  those  deposits." 

The  Senator  raised  his  eyelids  with  an  upward 
toss  of  his  head.  He  laid  one  hand  on  the  table, 
open,  then  shut  the  fingers  slowly.  The  action  was 
full  of  suggestion.  "  To  help  close  up  the  lines  of 
the  party  in  this  State — tight,"  he  said  in  a  high, 
penetrating  voice.  "  There's  been  differences  between 
us — Senator  Mabie  and  you.  We  don't  want  any 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  259 

more  of  them.  Devlin,  we  know  that  you  are  the 
man  to  be  reckoned  with  here,  and  nobody  else., 
Walsh  and  Showell — ?  Well,  we'll  say  nothing  of 
them  now.  The  point  is  you  and  the  Senator  and 
myself  can't  afford  to  split  on  anything  in  politics." 

Jimmy's  face  was  bland.  Not  by  so  much  as  a 
quiver  of  a  muscle  did  he  indicate  how  this  intelli 
gence  affected  him.  He  replied  quietly,  "  I  can  see 
nothing  that  we're  likely  to  differ  on  now.  When 
you  come  up  for  reelection  I  shall  support  you — as 
matters  stand.  But  as  for  pledging  my  word  to 
shut  my  mouth  and  play  a  thinking  part  when — 
well,  say  just  for  instance,  when  it  comes  to  instruct 
ing  representatives  to  a  convention  of  any  kind — I 
won't  do  it." 

"  I  didn't  expect  you  to,"  the  Senator  returned, 
but  his  voice  said  that  he  was  disappointed. 
Then,  more  spiritedly,  "  You'll  always  have  the  right 
to  talk  up.  All  we  want  is  to  have  the  majority  rule. 
It's  the  first  principle  of  our  government,"  he  con 
cluded  with  sarcastic  levity. 

"  It's  th'  principle  /  go  on,"  Jimmy  answered 
quickly.  "  I'm  ready  to  do  what  th'  majority  wants 
every  time.  But  it's  got  to  be  proved  to  me  in 
black  and  white  that  it  is  a  majority — th'  majority 
that  I'm  answerable  to." 

"  Just  so.  Nothing  '11  be  asked  of  you  but  what  a 
majority  demands.  But  we  needn't  get  worked  up 
over  this.  I  knew  you  wouldn't  take  those  additional 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  260 

State  deposits  without  an  explanation.  And  that's 
the  whole  story." 

The  conversation  which  followed  was  in  the  same 
key ;  it  ended  in  a  tacit  understanding  that  the  Union 
Bank  would  take  the  funds  in  question.  The  Sena 
tor  left  town  the  same  day;  Jimmy  went  back  to 
work  on  problems  which,  just  then,  were  of  more 
moment  to  him  than  his  relations  with  the  two 
gentlemen  who  sat  for  his  State  in  the  Senate  at 
Washington. 

Politics  in  the  city  were  in  a  condition  of  uncer 
tainty  which  made  the  wisest  shake  their  heads.  The 
Citizens'  League  and  every  voter  who  pinned  his 
faith  on  political  reform,  for  the  first  time  in  many 
years,  had  reasonable  hope  as  the  basis  for  his  ex 
pressions  of  confidence. 

Walsh's  defeat  was  prophesied  by  these  as  the  first 
step  in  the  downfall  of  the  Three  Czars  and  especially 
the  ruin  of  Jimmy.  And  Jimmy  smiled  at  this,  yet 
kept  his  ears  wide  open.  For,  whatever  his  opinion 
on  this  specific  case,  he  understood  that  there  were 
many  who  looked  for  the  millennium  when  his  fall 
should  be  accomplished,  and  a  good  many  who  fixed 
an  early  date  for  it  and  prepared  against  the  day. 

They  complained  of  his  control  of  politics,  of  his 
growing  domination  of  the  municipal  service  and  his 
autocratic  behavior.  They  foresaw  his  purposes 
better  than  did  Walsh  and  some  others,  Jimmy  told 
himself.  For  that  reason  he  gave  a  great  deal  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  261 

quiet  attention  to  the  prospective  remoVal  or  their 
complaints,  though,  apparently  he  had  no  intention 
of  yielding  an  inch  to  the  men  who  made  them.  He 
saw  his  goal  straight  ahead  of  him,  and  made  for  it. 

Joseph  Gans,  honest  and  intelligent,  he  respected, 
but  did  not  allow  to  disturb  him.  Most  important, 
at  the  present  hour,  was  the  dilemma  in  which  Walsh 
had  placed  him.  If  Jimmy  had  told  all  that  he  knew 
of  the  possibilities  of  the  situation  forced  upon 
him  by  Walsh,  many  things  might  have  happened 
differently. 

Walsh,  with  a  ten  thousand  dollar  office  almost  in 
his  fingers,  was  busy  with  his  canvassing  and  self- 
congratulation.  Showell,  who  had  an  understanding 
with  Walsh  as  to  certain  privileges  which  would  be 
within  the  latter's  gift  as  Sheriff,  was  wholly  occu 
pied  with  the  latter's  campaign.  Election  night 
came  to  read  them  both  a  lesson  in  the  industry  of 
the  mole. 

On  that  evening  Walsh  was  in  the  American 
Club,  whose  political  sympathies  he  had  long  swayed 
and  whose  President  he  was.  In  a  back  room  he  was 
reading  the  returns  from  the  polling  places  and  talk 
ing  with  some  friends  when  Showell  came  in, 
breathing  stertorously  from  that  corner  of  his  mouth 
which  was  not  occupied  with  the  perpetually  revol- 
ing  cigar. 

Walsh  looked  at  him  with  vague  alarm.  Show- 
ell's  face  was  perspiring  and  red,  and  his  big,  droop- 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  262 

ing  mustaches  made  him  resemble  a  walrus  more 
than  ever.  His  little  eyes  were  snapping  with  ex 
citement.  He  plucked  Walsh  by  the  sleeve,  and 
nodded  toward  a  corner  of  the  room. 

Walsh  followed  him.  "  What's  th'  matter?  "  he 
asked  the  moment  they  were  out  of  hearing  of  the 
crowd. 

"  Matter  enough !  "  answered  Showell,  thumping 
one  palm  with  a  fist  like  a  ham.  "  Matter  enough ! 
Th'  fat's  in  th'  fire.  Jimmy's  turned  you  down !  " 

"  Jimmy  turned  me  down  ?  "  repeated  Walsh  in 
credulously. 

"  That's  what  I  said.  He's  turnin'  in  th'  whole 
Water  Works  gang  at  th'  polls  for  Johnson,  an'  he's 
doin'  it  at  th'  very  last,  so  we  can't  do  anything. 
We  can't  stop  him.  Johnson  '11  be  elected.  Y're  a 
dead  rabbit,  Ed !  He's  done  for  you !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  it?  "  exclaimed  Walsh.  "  Why, 
he  told  me — he  told  me  I  should  have  th'  nomination. 
Jimmy  himself  gave  me  his  word — that — that — " 
He  halted,  suddenly,  the  exact  words  of  Jimmy's 
promise  recurring  to  him. 

"  Yes,  I  know  he  promised  y'  th'  nomination,  and 
y'  got  it.  But  this  is  th'  election  an'  he's  put  th' 
knife  in  y',"  Showell  said.  "He  lied  t'  you— he 
lied  t'  you  an'  t'  me."  In  a  fury,  he  burst  into 
expletives. 

But  Walsh  was  of  a  different  make.  His  face 
had  grown  very  white;  behind  his  glasses  his  cold 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  263 

eyes  narrowed;  his  thin  lips  set  themselves  tightly. 
He  was  sure  that  Showell  had  forecasted  his  fate. 
He  did  not  need  the  verdict  of  the  last  returns  from 
the  polling  places  to  tell  him  the  facts.  He  under 
stood  some  things  now  which  before  had  not  seemed 
worthy  of  attention;  and  these  incidents  all  pointed 
the  same  way.  He  felt  the  bitterness  of  a  defeat 
that  was  totally  unexpected.  But  this  bitterness  was 
too  deep  to  be  relieved  by  curses. 

"  No/'  he  said  to  Showell.  "  No,  Jimmy  didn't 
lie  to  me — to  us.  Jimmy  never  lies.  But  he  tricked 
us !  He  played  us  like  a  couple  of  fools !  " 

"What  did  he  do  it  for?"  asked  Showell,  who 
took  in  suddenly  presented  truths  slowly.  "  What 
did  he  do  it  for?" 

Walsh  had  taken  off  his  glasses,  and  was  delib 
erately  polishing  them  with  a  spotless  handkerchief. 
His  face  was  as  hard  as  steel.  He  replied  to  Showell 
slowly. 

"  What  did  he  do  it  for  ?  Jimmy  did  it  because 
he  thinks  one  boss  is  better  than  three.  He  means 
to  be  that  one." 

Then,  after  a  moment's  pause,  "  But  he  isn't  that 
boss  yet.  He's  got  some  years  to  live,  and  so  have 
I.  Wait— and  see!" 


CHAPTER  XIV  264 

"11    JT  R.  DEVLIN,  I  am  glad  to  meet  you  and 
V/  I      have  you  here." 

"  I  am  glad  to  be  here,  Mr.  Cham 
bers/' 

That  was  all  there  was  to  it.  Jack  who  looked  on 
with  proud  eyes  was  freed  from  any  lingering  doubt 
as  to  how  Jimmy  would  conduct  himself  in  this  new 
world.  Mr.  Chambers's  welcome  had  been  received 
as  unconcernedly  as  it  had  been  proffered  unaffect 
edly.  It  was  the  meeting  of  two  men  who  had  more 
in  instinct,  and  ideals  than  either  of  them  suspected. 
The  time  was  early  one  evening  in  the  December 
following  the  City  elections. 

Mr.  Chambers  led  the  way  to  the  library,  where 
they  found  Mrs.  Chambers  and  Molly;  and  Jack,  for 
once,  was  satisfied  to  stand  aside  and  see  Molly  give 
all  of  her  attention  to  another  man.  It  made  him 
happy  to  watch  the  faces  of  his  two  friends  as  they 
talked.  He  was  almost  a  silent  member  of  the  little 
circle  which  had  Jimmy  for  its  center  until  dinner 
was  announced.  Then,  to  his  delighted  surprise  he 
saw  Jimmy  offer  his  arm  to  his  hostess  as  if  he  had 
been  doing  the  thing  all  of  his  life.  Nor  was  Mrs. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  265 

Chambers's  surprise  any  the  less.  These  on 
lookers  forgot  that  Jimmy  had  not  associated  for 
twenty  odd  years  with  political  leaders  and  the  bruis 
ers  of  ward  politics  only.  Nor  did  it  occur  to  them, 
perhaps,  that  it  was  this  adaptability — -mayhap,  no 
more  than  the  imitative  faculty  cultivated  for  specific 
purposes,  yet  cultivated  until  it  had  become  second 
nature — which  among  other  qualities  enabled  "  J. 
Devlin — Boss  "  to  hold  his  own  with  men  of  divers 
kinds. 

At  the  table  Jack  was  seated  next  to  Molly. 
Jimmy  was  placed  between  his  host  and  hostess. 
Here  again  those  marveled  who  regarded  him  with 
eyes  of  pride  or  covert  curiosity.  The  mystery  of 
many  forks  and  napkin-enclosed  bread  was  no  mys 
tery  to  one  who  had  attended  more  banquets  than 
any  of  his  companions  at  the  table.  As  for  the  for 
mality  consequent  upon  the  brief  acquaintance  of 
guest  and  entertainers  that  soon  wore  off  under  the 
merry  fire  of  Molly's  questions,  Mrs.  Chambers's 
gentle  tact  and  Mr.  Chambers's  hearty  interest.  So 
they  were  all  talking  easily,  and  Jack  was  willing 
to  be  largely  a  listener.  The  last  trace  of  restraint 
disappeared  when  Jimmy  told  a  story  of  his  early  life 
in  answer  to  Molly's  query.  Jack  found  himself  in 
cluded  in  the  story,  and  complained,  "  Why,  you 
never  told  me  that?  " 

"  There  are  many  things  Mr.  Devlin  hasn't  told 
you  that  he's  going  to  tell  me,"  Molly  returned. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  266 

"  You  will  tell  me  all  the  secrets  about  Mr.  Doran, 
won't  you,  Mr.  Devlin  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  will;  but  they  mustn't  go  any  further," 
answered  Jimmy.  "  If  you  told  them  I'd  get  into 
serious  trouble  with  Jack's  mother." 

"  You  do  well  to  keep  on  the  side  of  the  mothers," 
put  in  Mrs.  Chambers.  "  They  are  very  jealous 
creatures." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jimmy.  "  But  they're  th'  ones  we 
have  to  look  to  for  most  of  what's  good." 

"  So  you  are  a  champion  of  women  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  them."  Then,  confi 
dentially,  "  Th'  truth  is  I'm  afraid  of  'em.  But  I 
don't  let  that  out  generally." 

"  But  you  defend  them,"  said  Mrs.  Chambers, 
laughing. 

"  Not  exactly.  If  I  speak  well  of  them  it's  to  sort 
of — pacify  'em." 

"  Then  you  think  they  can  hold  their  own  with 
the  men  ?  " 

"  More  than  hold  their  own,  more  than  hold  their 
own,"  affirmed  Jimmy  solemnly.  "  It's  simply  a 
question  of  their  wanting  a  thing.  When  they  do, 
they  get  it.  When  they  come  after  me  up  go  my 
hands,  if  I  can't  run  away." 

"  At  this  rate  we  shall  have  you  pushing  a  bill  for 
Woman's  Rights,  if  you  go  to  the  Legislature,"  de 
clared  Mr.  Chambers. 

"No,   said  Jimmy;    "I  would  n't  do  that.     I 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  267 

want  to  stick  in  politics  a  while  longer.  But/'  ear 
nestly,  "  I  would  like  to  see  a  bill  passed  giving  every 
woman  in  this  State  a  hand  in  the  management  of 
th'  public  schools.  The  women  could  do  a  great 
deal  more  for  the  schools  than  most  of  th'  men  do." 

"  My  own  idea,"  agreed  Mrs.  Chambers.  "  But 
I  didn't  look  for  such  an  opinion  from  any  one  in 
politics." 

"  Politicians  all  have  had  mothers,  and  some  of 
them  remember  them  long  after  they've  forgotten 
most  everything  else,"  replied  Jimmy.  He  checked 
himself  sharply.  "  But  I'm  talking  a  lot  about 
women,  ain't  I?  It  must  make  you  laugh." 

"  No,  it  doesn't  make  me  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Cham 
bers  quietly.  She  was  looking  at  him  with  new  in 
terest. 

"  And  you  can't  say  too  many  nice  things  about 
the  women,  either,"  added  Molly.  "  I'm  awfully 
glad  you  think  so  much  of  them.  I've  changed  my 
mind  about  Bosses." 

"  Why,  what  did  you  think  of — Bosses  ?  "  inter 
rogated  Jimmy. 

"  That's  one  of  my  secrets.  But  it  didn't  seem  to 
me  that  they  could  be  like  other  men." 

"'  Yes,  th'  same  old  fools,"  said  Jimmy,  wagging 
his  head  despairingly.  "  But,  after  all,  why  shouldn't 
they  be  just  th'  same  as  other  men;  they  were  all 
boys  once  upon  a  time.  Perhaps,  you  know  a  boy 
now  that  '11  be  a  Boss  some  day." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  268 

"Not  Mr.  Doran?" 

"  No,  not  Jack.  He'll  never  go  into  politics,  if  I 
can  keep  him  out." 

Mrs.  Chambers  caught  the  determined  note  in  his 
voice.  "  But  why  not?  "  she  asked.  ce  You  wouldn't 
change,  would  you?  " 

"  No,  I  wouldn't  change.  I  couldn't  now,  if  I 
would,  I  guess.  I've  got  to  stick  to  it  to  th'  end.  But 
Jack  didn't  start  in  at  it,  and — you  know  he  is  dif 
ferent  from  me  in  plenty  of  ways."  His  eyes  rested 
on  Jack  as  he  spoke,  and  his  hostess  did  not  mis 
understand  the  look.  Her  heart  warmed  to  him. 

"  You're  fond  of  young  people,  aren't  you  ?  "  she 
said. 

"  Yes,  I  am.    They're— well,  I  like  'em." 

"  When  you  were  a  boy,  did  you  ever  think  of 
being  a  Boss  ?  "  asked  Molly. 

Jimmy's  face  wrinkled.  "  That's  long  ago,"  he 
answered.  "  But,  maybe,  I  did.  Anyway,  I  hadn't 
much  of  a  chance  to  choose.  I  was  pitched  into 
politics  head-first.  But  I  liked  it,  and  I  like  it  still  a 
good  bit.  I've  gotten  along  in  it  so — so,  perhaps, 
because,  I  took  such  a  shine  to  it.  But  all  boys  ain't 
alike.  A  little  rough  handling  does  'em  all  good, 
is  my  notion;  but  with  some  of  'em  you  got  to  be 
careful;  they  ain't  able  to  last  it  out,  and  lose  their 
grip." 

"  It  is  a  rough  school,  of  course,"  remarked  Mr. 
Chambers. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  269 

"  Rougher  than  anybody  not  in  it  knows.  Some 
people  say  it  don't  have  to  be  so;  but  that's  got  to 
be  proved  yet." 

"It  makes  men,  though?"  observed  Mr.  Cham 
bers  tentatively,  and  waited  for  a  reply  which  he 
much  wanted  to  hear. 

But  Jimmy  only  echoed  the  words,  "  Yes,  it  makes 
men."  He  spoke  with  a  dryness  that  did  not  escape 
his  listeners ;  he  turned  to  his  plate,  as  if  he  had  said 
it  all. 

"  And  a  good  many  strong  men  ?  "  persisted  his 
host. 

"  Strong  men,  and  some  that — ain't  so  strong," 
said  Jimmy  in  the  same  dry  tones.  His  mouth  tight 
ened;  he  showed  his  reluctance  to  pursue  the  subject. 

Molly  had  been  trying  to  frame  a  question  for 
some  time.  In  her  eagerness  she  put  it  rather  boldly. 
"Aren't  lots  of  them — honest,  Mr.  Devlin?"  She 
spoke  as  if  some  one  had  declared  to  the  contrary, 
and  Jimmy  looked  at  her  quickly,  a  grim  smile  on  his 
lips. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied  challengingly.  "  Many  of  them 
are  honest.  Some  that  don't  get  th'  credit  for  it,  and 
some  that  get  more  credit  than  their  capital  war 
rants."  He  saw  the  puzzled  expression  on  her 
face  at  the  last  words,  and  explained,  "  I  mean  that 
some  politicians,  because  they  talk  a  lot  about  bein' 
straight  and  all  that,  are  expected  to  be  honester  than 
th'  people  that  are  trusting  them.  They're  expected 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  270 

to  be  honester  than  th'  law  calls  for.  Now,  that 
ain't  fair.  Th'  laws  are  there  for  everybody;  th'  busi 
ness  man  don't  worry  a  bit  about  what  he  does  so 
long  as  he  keeps  within  th'  laws.  He'd  make  a  great 
row  if  anybody  said  he  hadn't  any  right  to  th'  money 
he  made  by  squeezing  some  little  fellow  out  of  trade 
in  the  same  line,  or  by  '  cornering '  th'  market  for 
his  goods  and  making  you  pay  big  prices,  or  by 
giving  some  woman  ten  cents  for  sewing  a  garment 
that  he  sells  for  ten  dollars.  He'd  say  that  was 
'  trade  '  or  something  of  that  kind,  and  it  was  all 
right.  But  th'  politician  is  expected  to  live  on — air, 
I  guess.  And  th'  fellows  that  haven't  done  a  stroke 
toward  finding  a  good  man  for  an  office  call  him  all 
sorts  of  names  if  th'  man  picked  out  ain't — an  angel 
in  disguise.  They  want  their  office-holders  ready- 
made  ;  they  want  'em  to  know  just  how  to  run  a  place 
without  ever  having  been  in  politics.  I  wonder 
what  th'  head  of  some  big  business  establishment 
would  say  if  a  fellow  that  hadn't  had  a  day's  experi 
ence  should  come  to  him,  and  ask  for  one  of  his  best 
positions?  He " 

Jimmy  suddenly  realized  that  he  had  been  speak 
ing  uninterruptedly  and  to  an  audience  of  four  intent 
listeners  for  a  long  time.  He  laughed  awkwardly, 
and  began  to  apologize.  But  Mr.  Chambers  asked 
him  to  go  on.  "  You've  been  hitting  hard,"  he  said; 
"  but  you've  hit  some  nails  right  on  the  head." 

Molly  begged  him  to  go  on  also;  but  Jimmy  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  271 

firm.  "  I  guess  what  we  politicians  are  doin'  is  try 
ing  to  get  all  that  we  can  without  getting  brought 
into  court,"  was  his  final  response.  It  was  said  with 
a  grim  appreciation  of  fact  rather  than  in  a  tone  of 
contrition  or  even  self -accusation,  and  Mrs.  Cham 
bers  looked  a  little  shocked. 

Jack  felt  that  Jimmy  was  on  the  defensive,  and 
that  he  ought  to  come  to  his  rescue.  "  I  heard  one 
of  the  Directors  at  the  Bank  say,"  he  declared ;  "  that 
you  spent  two  dollars  in  helping  other  people  for 
every  dollar  you  spent  on  yourself." 

The  moment  that  he  uttered  this  Jack  knew  that 
he  had  made  a  blunder.  Jimmy  grew  a  dull  red  and 
shot  his  disapproval  in  a  glance  at  the  speaker.  Mrs. 
Chambers  did  not  disguise  her  surprise.  But  Molly 
saved  the  day.  "  I  knew  it!  I  just  knew  it  when  I 
got  that  note  of  yours !  "  she  cried.  "  That's  the 
reason  you  told  me  not  to  trust  Mr.  Doran.  You 
knew  he'd  give  away  secrets." 

They  all  laughed.  The  moment  of  strain  was  past. 
Mrs.  Chambers  began  to  talk  to  Jimmy  about  the 
work  of  a  certain  mission  among  the  children  of  the 
slums.  It  took  but  a  few  minutes  for  her  to  discover 
that  he  knew  many  things  about  this  mission  and  its 
labors  which  she  did  not.  Incidentally,  she  surprised 
him  into  a  halting  confession  that  he  had  been  in 
terested  in  similar  work  in  two  wards  down-town 
before  the  mission  came  into  existence.  But,  when 
she  grew  curious  as  to  where  the  funds  came  from 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  272 

to  carry  on  the  work  whose  origin  he  referred  to 
indefinitely,  all  her  strategy  was  baffled.  He  sud 
denly  began  to  relate  the  story  of  a  family  of  Irish 
children — a  story  which  made  his  hearers  laugh  and 
then  brush  their  eyes. 

The  coffee  was  served  in  the  library;  Jimmy  with 
plain  satisfaction  lighted  the  cigar  which  his  host 
gave  him.  "  You  like  a  cigar?  "  said  Mr.  Chambers. 

"  A  good  one — like  this,  very  much.  Tobacco 
and  music  are  what  I  enjoy  most,"  he  replied. 

"  Music !  "  said  Molly.  "  Do  you  ever  go  to 
Grand  Opera?" 

And  then  Mrs.  Chambers  was  astonished  as  she 
had  seldom  been.  "  Whenever  I  can,"  he  answered. 
'  It  isn't  often  that  I  get  th'  chance  to  go;  for  they 
usually  find  something  for  me  to  do  down  our  way 
nights.  But,  now  and  then,  I  get  th'  chance  to  see 
what  they  call  Grand  Opera,  and  I  take  a  seat  in  th' 
family  circle.  But  it's  a  toss-up  with  me  between 
Grand  Opera  and  a  good  darkey  song.  Anything 
that's  played  or  sung  th'  way  it  ought  to  be." 

Molly  yielded  to  Jack's  urgings.  "  It's  very  dif 
ferent  from  Grand  Opera,  but  I'll  sing  for  you,  if 
you'd  like,"  she  said  to  Jimmy. 

"  Will  you  ?  I  wish  you  would,"  he  said. 

She  chose  a  song  which  had  what  he  de 
scribed  as  "tune;"  and  he  seemed  to  enjoy  it. 
Then  she  played  one  of  Mendelssohn's  Songs  With 
out  Words,  because  it  was  a  favorite  of  hers.  When 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  273 

she  turned  on  the  piano  stool  as  the  last  note  died 
away,  she  saw  that  he  was  gazing  into  the  fire,  his 
face  smoothed  of  all  its  lines. 

He  became  aware  of  the  silence  and  that  they 
were  looking  at  him.  He  gave  a  little  start  of  em 
barrassment.  But  he  said  nothing,  and  began  to 
pull  vigorously  on  his  cigar.  It  was  out.  Mr. 
Chambers  proffered  him  a  match,  and  he  struck 
it  and  lighted  his  cigar  still  without  speaking.  Then, 
"  Thank  you,"  he  said  to  Molly  in  a  low  voice.  He 
made  no  comment  on  her  singing  or  playing. 

Presently,  Mr.  Chambers  said,  "  I  suppose  you 
will  be  very  busy  from  now  on  until  next 
November  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there's  a  great  deal  to  do  in  a  Presidential 
year,  always." 

"  And  more  than  usual  this  year  on  account  of  the 
fight  that  will  be  made  if  Grant's  name  comes  up  ?  " 

"  Grant  will  not  be — "  he  began  decisively,  and 
finished,  "  will  not  be  th'  only  man  to  figure  in  th' 
Convention." 

"  General  Grant!  "  said  Molly.  "  Why,  of  course, 
he  will  be  elected  President." 

"  What  makes  you  think  Grant  will  be  elected?  " 
asked  Jimmy  quietly. 

"  Because  he's  been  a  President  before,  and  knows 
how  to  be  one,"  declared  Molly,  as  if  that  settled 
it. 

Jimmy  smiled  at  this  unconscious  citation  of  his 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  274 

own  argument.  "There's  something  in  that?"  he 
returned.  "  But,  do  you  know,  that  is  just  th'  reason 
why,  in  this  case,  a  good  many  people  don't  want 
him  for  President  ?  " 

"  I  never  heard  such  nonsense,"  she  scoffed. 

Mr.  Chambers  explained.  "  You  see,  Molly,  this 
is  a  great  country  for  changes.  We  don't  care  to 
have  one  man  on  top  too  long.  Some  people  tljink 
it's  too  much  like  having  a  King  over  them.  Now, 
General  Grant  has  been  President  twice,  and  that  is 
twice  as  long  as  most  men  have  held  the  place.  So  a 
large  number  of  our  voters  seem  to  be  bitterly 
opposed  to  having  him  considered  again  as  a  candi 
date.  But  Senator  Mabie  is  not  one  of  them,  I 
hear/'  he  added,  winking  at  Jimmy. 

"  I'd  vote  for  Grant,"  asserted  Molly.  "  He  was 
our  greatest  general." 

"  That  is  a  sufficient  argument  for  many  persons, 
isn't  it?  "  Mr.  Chambers's  remark  was  addressed  to 
Jimmy. 

The  latter  nodded.  "  Yes,  but — well,  we  shall  see 
what  we  shall  see,"  he  replied  sagely. 

"  Are  you  against  General  Grant  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Chambers. 

"  That's  not  fair,"  her  husband  interposed.  "  We 
mustn't  catechise  Mr.  Devlin  while  he's  our  guest. 
Remember,  his  views  are  not  to  be  made  public  pre 
maturely." 

Jimmy  was  smiling.     He  addressed  himself  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  275 

Mrs.  Chambers.  "  I  couldn't  answer  your  question 
right  now,  in  any  event,"  he  said.  "  If  I  did  I  might 
have  to  go  back  on  myself  later  on.  I  know  that  it 
isn't  th'  general  opinion,  but  it's  so  just  th'  same.  A 
politician — like  myself,  we'll  say — hasn't  any  ideas 
of  his  own  on  these  things  at  th'  start.  If  he  has, 
he  ought  to  keep  'em  quiet  until  he  sees  what  th' 
people  he  stands  for  think  about  th'  thing.  Then  he 
can  speak  out.  If  they  think  th'  way  he  thought — th' 
way  he  tried  to  make  'em  think,  perhaps,  on  th'  quiet 
—all  th'  better.  If  they  don't,  then  th'  best  thing  he 
can  do  is  to  decide  he  didn't  know  his  own  mind 
at  th'  start.  For  if  he  keeps  buckin'  against  'em — 
doing  th'  things  they  don't  want — his  name  is  likely 
to  be  Dennis  Mud." 

"  That's  funny,"  remarked  Mrs.  Chambers,  "  I 
can't  say  that  I  see  much  '  bossing '  in  that." 

"  It's  one  of  th'  secrets  of  being  a  boss,"  answered 
Jimmy  impressively,  but  his  twinkling  eyes  made 
them  doubt  if  he  was  entirely  in  earnest. 

"Who  is  Dennis — Mud?"  whispered  Molly  to 
Jack. 

"  He  was  an  old  friend  of  Jimmy's,"  said  Jack 
gravely. 

"  Tell  me  about  your  friend,  Dennis  Mud,"  said 
Molly. 

Jimmy  saw  the  joke.  "  All  right,"  he  responded 
promptly,  "  I  will.  Dennis  was  an  Irishman  whose 
real  name  was  Patrick  Govern.  He  was  very  fond 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  276 

of  a  drop — when  he  couldn't  get  a  bottle.  One 
night  he  was  at  a  christening,  and,  when  morning 
came,  he  found  himself  in  a  strange  part  of  tlr  city, 
wandering  th'  streets  with  such  a  tight  head  that,  to 
save  him,  he  could  get  but  one  idea  out  of  it,  and 
that  was  th'  name  of  th'  baby  that  had  been  chris 
tened — Dennis.  But  his  spirits  were  first  rate.  So, 
when  a  policeman  came  along  and  told  him  to  move 
on,  he  said  he'd  think  about  it.  Then  th'  policeman 
took  him  by  th'  collar — to  help  him  think,  I  guess; 
and,  with  that,  Pat  got  mad.  He  knocked  th'  police 
man  down,  and  sat  on  th'  curb  to  think  it  over.  But 
th'  policeman  got  another  officer,  and,  between  them, 
they  began  to  hustle  Pat  along.  Then  Pat  woke  up 
in  earnest;  and  they  had  a  big  scrimmage.  Pat 
thought  they  ought  to  go  down  th'  street ;  th'  police 
men  thought  they  ought  to  go  up.  Th'  majority  was 
for  going  up  th'  street,  so  up  they  went,  th'  whole  lot 
of  them  falling  and  rolling  in  th'  gutter,  now  and 
then.  In  the  end  they  landed  in  th'  Magistrate's. 
Th'  Magistrate  asked  Pat  his  name.  Pat  was  a 
sight,  all  plastered  with  mud.  But,  for  all  th'  knocks 
he  had  got,  th'  only  name  that  came  to  him  was 
th'  baby's.  So  he  answered,  promptly  enough, 
'  Dinnis,  y'r  Honor/ 

"  '  Dennis  what  ?  '  demanded  th'    Magistrate. 

"  But  it  was  Dinnis,  or  nothing  with  Pat,  so  he 
repeated  '  Dinnis,'  and  mumbled  something  else 
which  nobody  understood. 


J    DEVLIN— BOSS  277 

"  '  Dennis  what  ?  '  again  said  th'  Magistrate. 

"  '  Mud,'  suggested  one  of  th'  bystanders,  with  an 
eye  on  Pat's  gutter  decorations. 

"  '  Dennis  Mud,  eh  ?  '  repeated  th'  Magistrate. 
'  Is  that  your  name  ?  '  staring  at  Pat. 

"  Pat  nodded  cheerfully. 

"  '  All  right/  said  th'  Magistrate.  '  It's  ten  days 
in  jail,  then,  for  getting  drunk,  Dennis;  and  it's  ten 
days  more  by  token  of  your  last  name.' 

"  And  that's  what  Dennis  Mud  got  for  being  of 
a  different  opinion  from  th'  majority." 

"  I  was  sure  there  was  a  story,"  declared  Molly, 
when  the  laugh  had  subsided.  Jack  made  no  com 
ment.  Jimmy  was  smoking  his  cigar  compla 
cently. 

"Are  there  stories  like  that  back  of  many  public 
characters?"  asked  Mrs.  Chambers. 

"  Back  of  some,  I  guess,"  replied  Jimmy  with 
serious  countenance. 

"  Tell  some  more,"  urged  Molly. 

"  Mention  some  man,  and  I  may  be  able  to." 

"  I  don't  know  any  public  men — except  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  do.     There's  Dennis."1 

She  made  a  little  mouth  of  reproach.  "  But, 
really,  I  wish  I  did  know  some  of  those  men.  As 
it  is  I  don't  know  even  where  to  look  for  them." 

"  A  good  place  to  look  for  them,"  returned  Jimmy, 
half  in  earnest ;  "  would  be  th'  National  Convention 
of  th'  party  at  Chicago  next  June." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  278 

Molly  turned  a  radiant  face  on  her  Uncle.  "  You 
must  do  it,"  she  cried.  "  It's  the  very  best  idea 
in  the  world.  You  must  make  up  a  party,  and  take 
them  in  your  car  to  Chicago.  We'll  go  to  the  Con 
vention,  and  see  all  the  big  men.  But  would  they  let 
us  in  ?  "  she  asked  of  Jimmy. 

"  I  guess  I  could  get  tickets  for  you  if  Mr.  Cham 
bers  decided  to  take  you."  Jimmy's  face  reflected 
some  of  her  enthusiasm;  her  impetuosity  captured 
him.  "  And  I'll  point  out  Dennis  Mud  to  you — if 
he's  there,"  he  added. 

"  We'll  see,"  temporized  Mr.  Chambers.  "  Per 
haps,  it  could  be  managed.  But  we've  got  some 
months  to  get  ready  for  it." 

"  Well,  we're  going,"  said  Molly  with  an  air  of 
conviction  that  came  of  an  accurate  knowledge  of 
her  Uncle's  indulgence  and  of  the  sway  of  her  own 
coaxing  tyranny. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  splendid?  "  she  confided  to  Jack. 

"  Y-e-s,"  he  answered.  His  unspoken  criticism 
upon  the  proposetl  excursion  was  that  it  would  take 
her  out  of  town — where  he  could  not  see  her. 

She  detected  his  hesitation.  "  Why,  I  should 
think  you'd  enjoy  it  as  much  as  anybody,"  she  ex 
claimed.  "  Wouldn't  you  like  to  see  the  Conven 
tion?" 

"Me?  Would  /be  along?" 

"  Of  course,"  Then,  determined  that  he  should 
appreciate  the  proposed  honor,  "  Yes,  I  guess  you 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  279 

would,  and  I  don't  know  whether  I'd  ask  Dick  and 
Tom  to  go,  or  only  one  of  them." 

"  Both  of  them.  At  least,  I  would  ask  them  both," 
returned  Jack.  He  was  improving. 

"  I  haven't  made  my  party  up  yet,"  she  retorted. 
"  Besides,  I  suppose,  the  Convention  would  come  at 
the  wrong  time  for  you.  You  told  me  you  were  al 
ways  very  busy  in  the  Bank  about  June." 

"Y-e-s,  but — maybe — Jimmy  could  arrange  it  so 
that  I  could  go." 

"Perhaps,"  she  agreed  reluctantly.  "  I  am  sure 
that  either  Dick  or  Tom  will  manage  to  go,  no 
matter  what  happens,  if  they're  asked." 

"  Well,  if  Tom  can,  I  can." 

"  Well,  if  he  can't  and  you  can't,  I  tell  you  what 
I'll  do.  I'll  describe  to  you  all  that  I  saw  and  tell 
you  what  Dick  and  I  did — when  we  come  back. 
And  I'll  make  Dick  remember  all  that  he  sees,  too." 

Jack  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  go  to  that 
Convention  if  he  rode  to  Chicago  on  the  brake-beam 
of  Molly's  car. 

Mr.  Chambers  was  inquiring  what  the  feeling  was 
generally  with  regard  to  the  proposed  candidacy  of 
Grant  for  the  Presidential  nomination.  "  I  suppose, 
Senator  Mabie  and  Senator  Cordon  will  move 
heaven  and  earth  to  have  him  nominated,"  he  re 
marked. 

"  So  they  say,"  concurred  Jimmy. 

"  Corson  is  a  great, power,"  went  on  Mr.  Cham- 


J    DEVLIN— BOSS  280 

bers,  reflectively;  he  had  in  mind  Joseph  Gans's 
condemnation  of  the  Senator.  "  I  don't  think  many 
men  in  public  life  are  so  freely  denounced  as  he.  But 
he  stands  up  under  it  all  right.  He  must  be  a  born 
leader  and  schemer." 

"He  is,"  returned  Jimmy;  and,  after  a  moment, 
smiling,  continued,  "  They  tell  a  story  of  him  that 
is  to  th'  point.  When  he  was  six  years  old  his 
father,  who  was  a  clergyman,  one  day  brought  home 
a  toy  sword  and  a  Bible.  He  thought  it  was  a  good 
chance  to  discover  what  th'  boy's  leanings  were.  So 
he  showed  both  th'  sword  and  th'  Bible  to  him,  and 
said  he  might  have  his  choice.  Whichever  he  didn't 
take  his  sister,  who  was  a  few  years  older,  was  to 
have.  Young  Corson,  they  say,  looked  at  both  th' 
sword  and  th'  Bible,  reached  out  his  hand  toward  th' 
sword,  then  said  he'd  choose  th'  Bible.  His  father 
was  delighted,  though  he  was  surprised,  too;  for 
th'  boy  was  all  th'  time  playing  soldier.  It  wasn't 
till  his  sister  laughed  at  th'  idea  of  her  taking  a 
sword  that  th'  old  gentleman  concluded  that  his  son 
knew  a  good  deal  for  a  boy  of  six." 

"  Some  of  the  Senator's  biographers  made  up  that 
story,  didn't  they?  "  laughed  Mrs.  Chambers. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Jimmy.  "  TV  Senator  cer 
tainly  started  in  early  to  show  what  he  was  made  of. 
He's  as  full  of  ideas  as  a  monkey  of  tricks.  That 
reminds  me  of  another  story  of  him.  When  he 
was  about  twelve  years  old  he  was  sitting  in  church 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  281 

one  day,  and  his  father,  th'  pastor,  didn't  arrive  on 
time.  Th'  minutes  went  by,  and  th'  people  began  to 
get  restless  and  look  round.  Then,  all  at  once,  young 
Corson  got  up,  walked  slowly  to  th'  pulpit,  and  be 
gan  to  turn  over  th'  leaves  of  th'  big  Bible  there. 
Every  once  and  a  while  he'd  look  at  th'  church  calen 
dar  and  order  of  service,  and  put  a  marker  in  th' 
book.  People  stared  at  him,  but  they  all  supposed 
he'd  been  told  to  do  it.  Nobody  caught  on  till  th' 
old  gentleman  came  in,  and  looked  so  stern  and 
surprised.  Then  there  was  a  good  bit  of  quiet 
laughing.  But  young  Corson  didn't  mind  that.  He 
walked  back  to  his  seat,  solemn  as  an  owl.  He  felt 
responsible  for  th'  old  gentleman  making  them  all 
wait,  and  he  felt  he'd  done  what  he  could  to  keep 
them  interested  and  fill  in  th'  time." 

"  You  will  have  to  make  up  that  party  for  the 
Convention  and  take  me  with  you,"  said  Mrs.  Cham 
bers  to  her  husband.  "  I  want  to'  see  this  Senator 
Corson  and  I  want  to  see  Mr.  Devlin — when  he's  in 
the  field." 

Jimmy  inclined  his  head  and  colored.  A  com 
pliment  from  a  woman  was  something  new  to  him. 
"  I'll  be  a  mighty  small  frog  in  that  puddle,"  he  said. 
"  But  I  do  think  th'  Convention  would  interest  you 
some.  And  now  I  must  be  going.  I  had  no  idea  it 
was  so  late.  It's  nearly  eleven  o'clock." 

He  rose  quickly,  and  Mrs.  Chambers  extended  her 
hand.  Jimmy  took  it,  "  I've  had  a  very  good  time," 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  282 

he  said.  There  was  no  doubting  that  he  meant  it. 
The  hearty  squeeze  he  gave  his  host's  hand  was  con 
vincing.  Jack  made  his  adieus,  and  went  with  him. 
Jimmy  didn't  say  much  as  they  walked  along. 
In  fact  there  was  small  opportunity.  What  was 
there  for  him  to  say  when  Jack  was  with  him,  and 
they  had  just  come  from  an  evening  spent  in  com 
pany  of  The  Only  Girl  ? 


CHAPTER  XV  283 

IT  was  "  Jack  "  and  "  Molly  "  now.    January,  Feb 
ruary  and  March  are  accounted  austere  months ; 
to  Jack  they  were  the  sunniest  in  his  memory. 
So  potent  are  the  smiles  of  The  Only  Girl. 

Dick  Cans  was  out  of  town  on  a  long  business 
trip;  Tom  Rowell  had  met  The  Other  Girl.  There 
fore,  indulgent  and  galling  rivalry  and  cousinly  in 
terest,  scarcely  less  tormenting,  for  the  three  months 
named  were  no  more  than  shadows  which,  when 
called  into  the  present  by  some  reminiscence  of  Trie 
Only  Girl,  were  greeted  with  a  tolerant  remark  and 
quickly  relegated  to  a  willingly-forgotten  past  by  the 
young  man  for  whose  delectation  they  had  been 
summoned.  It  may  be  that  the  acquiescence  of  The 
Only  Girl  in  this  somewhat  summary  treatment  of 
her  reminiscences  had  root  in  judicial  consideration 
of  the  adage  "  A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in 
the  bush."  It  may  be  that  comforting  reflections 
upon  the  opportunities  for  reprisal  which  would  be 
afforded  her  feminine  privileges  and  weapons  when 
Dick  Gans  returned  to  town  and  Tom  Rowell  was 
weaned  from  The  Other  Girl,  encouraged  complai 
sance.  Nor  is  it  impossible  that  her  blue  eyes  had 
found  new  attraction  in  the  knight  who  remained  at 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  284 

her  side.  Who  can  identify  the  motives  of  a  young 
woman  of  twenty  who  has  indubitable  graces  of  per 
son,  a  mind  of  her  own  and  a  heart  that  is  in  itself — 
a  mystery? 

Jack  knew  that  he  was  happy,  and  that  the  streets 
were  paved  with  air,  especially  those  which  connected 
his  home  with  a  substantial  brown-stone  fronted 
building  in  which  was  a  square  room,  lined  with 
book  shelves  and  genially  warmed  by  a  big  fire-place 
with  which  he  was  becoming  more  and  more  famil 
iar.  The  outlines  of  this  room  he  had  often  described 
to  his  mother;  and  she  sometimes  wished  that  she 
might  meet  the  other  person  who,  it  seemed,  sat 
perpetually  there,  but  with  regard  to  whose  sayings 
and  doings  her  informant  became  steadily  more  reti 
cent.  However,  she  felt  that  the  time  had  not  yet 
come  for  this  meeting.  She  had  learned  enough 
from  Jack  and  from  Jimmy  to  satisfy  her  with 
what  was.  She  was  frank  enough — if  she  had  not 
been  a  mother  it  might  be  necessary  to  say  un 
selfish  enough — to  acknowledge  that  it  could  do 
Jack's  cause  no  good  to  introduce  herself  just  now 
among  these  friends  of  his.  In  this  she  judged  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chambers  by  a  standard  more  worldly  than 
it  was  fair  to  apply  to  them ;  but  that  was  because  she 
did  not  know  them  personally.  As  it  was,  she 
waited,  calming  her  sometimes  rebellious  heart  with 
thoughts  of  her  boy's  love  for  her  and  with  prideful 
reflections  on  his  outlook. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  285 

She  hummed  to  herself  over  her  sewing,  and  kept 
her  mind  steadily  on  what  was  ahead.  It  is  true  she 
was  very  lonely  sometimes,  but  Jack  never  was 
allowed  to  guess  that.  It  might  have  been  that 
Jimmy  would  have  guessed  it,  if  he  had  seen  her 
oftener.  But  Jimmy  was  up  to  his  ears  in  work,  and 
kept  in  touch  with  her  only  by  infrequent  and  hasty 
calls  and  by  the  messages  he  sent  by  Jack.  If  there 
were  other  lines  of  communication  between  them, 
Kate  was  not  certain  of  them,  and  Jimmy  might 
have  repudiated  their  existence. 

So  January,  February  and  March  passed — 
bathed  in  sunlight  for  Jack  and,  perhaps,  for  The 
Only  Girl,  too — tempered  for  Kate  by  joy  in  her 
boy's  happiness — filled  for  Jimmy  with  the  strenuous 
activities  amid  which  he  strove  and  thrived.  That 
a  great  combat  was  impending — that  a  nation  was  to 
entrust  its  destinies  to  another  man  had  interest  only 
for  the  last  named.  On  him  it  was  thrust  home  by 
circumstances  and  by  his  plans  with  ever-growing 
directness  and  force. 

Already  politics,  the  country  over,  presented  the 
appearance  of  a  great  kaleidoscope — a  field  of  work 
ing,  scheming,  hurrying,  betting  men  in  whose 
mouths  were  little  else  than  the  words — "  Grant," 
"  Elaine,"  "  Tilden,"  "  Cincinnati,"  "  Chicago," 
"  State  Conventions,"  "  Delegates,"  "  Third  Term," 
"  Popular  vote,"  "  results  uncertain,"  and  the  names 
of  every  State  in  the  Union  and  of  thrice  as  many 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  286 

political  leaders.  For,  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Atlan 
tic  seaboard,  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
the  country  was  in  the  throes  of  the  Presidential  elec 
tion  fever — a  fever  which  had  recurred  earlier  than 
was  common  and  had  already  developed  symptoms 
of  alarming  violence.  Its  throbbings  were  in  the  air. 
Business,  even  so  soon,  felt  its  pulses  beat  irregularly 
because  of  the  contagion.  In  every  city  and  village, 
in  every  stretch  of  ranch-dotted  prairie  and  mountain 
settlement  men  were  marshaling  their  forces  for  the 
first  grand  struggle — the  nomination  of  candidates 
for  the  ofHce  of  President. 

In  Jimmy's  state  the  first  skirmish  had  been 
fought.  The  State  Convention  of  his  party  had  been 
held ;  and,  after  a  fierce  rally,  had  chosen  representa 
tives  to  go  to  the  National  Convention.  The  vote  of 
the  Convention  had  stood  133  for  Grant,  113  for 
Elaine  upon  the  question  as  to  who  should  be  sup 
ported  by  the  State  delegation  for  the  nomination. 
Senator  Corson  gave  an  interview  in  which  he  said, 
"  This  State  will  go  for  Ulysses  S.  Grant  for  Presi 
dential  nominee.  If  the  delegation  votes  as  it  should 
— if  the  Unit  Rule  is  upheld — it  will  be  to  give 
Grant  the  fifty-eight  votes  of  this  Commonwealth's 
representation.  The  opposition  in  this  State,  when 
the  balloting  at  Chicago  begins,  will  be  unable  to 
muster  more  than  five  or  six  votes  for  Elaine,  in  any 
event." 

Jimmy  read  this,  and  smiled.    But  he  was  grimly 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  287 

determined,  though  uncommunicative  when  ques 
tioned.  Senator  Mabie,  the  Chairman  of  the  Na 
tional  Committee  of  the  party  saw  him,  and  argued 
with  him;  Senator  Corson  did  the  same  several 
times.  The  latter  hinted,  then  openly  referred 
to  services  performed  in  the  interests  of  the  Union 
Bank.  But  pleadings  and  arguments  were  of  no 
avail.  Jimmy's  reply  to  Corson's  allusions  to  the 
State  deposits  was,  "  Th'  Union  Bank  is  my 
concern;  th'  vote  of  representatives  at  Chicago  is 
theirs.  I  can  run  th'  Bank  without  th'  deposits  of  th' 
State,  as  I  once  told  you;  I  can't  run  th'  people  of 
this  city  in  helping  to  choose  a  man  for  President. 
You  said  you  wanted  a  majority  to  govern.  We'll 
see  at  Chicago  if  that  majority  wants  th'  Unit  Rule 
and  Grant.  Your  vote,  as  delegate-at-large  will  go 
for  Grant ;  mine  won't.  I  told  Senator  Mabie  this  at 
Washington  on  January  twenty-eighth.  You  can  re 
peat  it  to  him  if  he's  forgot  it.  Rushing  the  State 
Convention  ahead  of  time  so  as  to  cut  out  th'  County 
Conventions  that  are  against  you  and  give  th' 
County  Committees  that  are  for  you  a  chance  to 
name  delegates  for  Grant  will  work  in  some  places. 
It  don't  work  in  this  city — while  I'm  about." 

The  Senator  deliberately  raised  an  eyebrow  and 
half  lifted  a  heavy  eyelid.  "  This  city  isn't  solid 
against  Grant  by  a  long  shot,"  he  remarked  in  his 
piping  voice. 

But  Jimmy  went  on  imperturbably.    "  Walsh  had 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  288 

an  axe  to  grind  when  he  made  that  deal  with  you. 
You'll  grind  it  for  him,  I  daresay.  If  /  have  any, 
I'll  grind  'em  myself.  It's  dangerous  turning  th' 
stone  when  Walsh  holds  th'  axe — his  hand's  so 
liable  to  slip."  His  face  was  vacant. 

But  Senator  Corson  knew  that  this  was  an  ulti 
matum.  If  his  temper  had  not  long  before  been 
bridled,  he  would  have  turned  loose  a  hot  tongue  in 
reply.  What  he  did  was  to  compress  his  lips,  droop 
his  lids,  and  say  drily,  "  Don't  get  cocky  over  Walsh 
or  the  Bank.  And,  as  for  the  vote,  you'll  change 
your  mind  when  you  see  how  the  tide  runs  for  Grant 
at  Chicago." 

The  developments  of  the  two  succeeding  months 
tended  to  bear  out  this  prediction.  The  "  boom  " 
for  Grant  gathered  strength.  Senator  Mabie,  when 
asked  if  anything  could  persuade  him  to  change 
front,  declared,  "  Those  who  know  me  best  know 
that  I  never  back."  But  elsewhere  the  anti-Grant 
feeling  exhibited  itself  conspicuously.  County  after 
county  in  Jimmy's  State  repudiated  the  declaration 
of  the  delegates  at  the  State  Convention,  and  called 
for  a  fight  against  the  rule  providing  that  State  Dele 
gations  should  vote  as  a  unit  at  the  National  Con 
vention.  On  May  third  nineteen  members  of  the 
New  York  delegation  pledged  themselves  not  to  vote 
for  "  The  Strong  Man."  On  the  thirty-first  of  the 
same  month  the  anti-Grant  forces  from  New  York 
and  from  Jimmy's  State  held  a  caucus,  and  ratified 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  289 

their  pledges.  Three  days  later  Senator  Mabie  went 
to  Chicago,  and,  as  Chairman  of  the  National  Com 
mittee,  began  active  work  on  the  field  of  the  coming 
battle. 

On  the  same  day  Jimmy,  hurrying  his  prepara 
tions  for  departure  with  the  delegation  of  which  he 
was  recognized  as  the  leader,  had  a  visit  from  Mar 
cus.  "  I  want  to  go  to  Chicago,"  the  latter  an 
nounced;  and,  as  if  that  statement  was  sufficient, 
waited. 

Jimmy  made  no  protest.  This  was  a  ques 
tion  of  a  few  dollars.  He  sent  out,  purchased  a 
round-trip  ticket  to  Chicago,  and  handed  it  to  Mar 
cus.  The  latter  pocketed  it  without  thanks.  "  I  may 
see  you  there/'  he  said.  "  I  hear  Jack's  going.  I 
may  drop  in  on  him,  too." 

Jimmy  made  a  mental  note  that,  if  he  could  pre 
vent  such  a  meeting,  he  would.  But  he  did  not 
mention  Marcus's  visit  or  his  own  intentions  when 
he  saw  Kate  that  afternoon.  "  I'll  keep  an  eye  on 
th'  boy,"  he  said.  "  But  I  guess  he  won't  have  any 
eyes  for  me." 

At  six  o'clock  that  evening,  in  company  with  the 
delegates  from  the  city,  he  started  for  Chicago 


Mr.  Chambers's  private  car  held  a  party  of  eight 
— Mrs.  Chambers,  and  her  husband;  Molly;  "  The 
Other  Girl,"  known  to  the  world  as  Ellen  Harper; 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  290 

Maizie  Bradford,  Molly's  "  dearest  friend  " ;  Jack, 
Dick  Gans,  and  Tom  Rowell.  Speeding  west 
ward,  attached  to  an  express  train,  it  carried  prob 
ably  the  lightest  hearted  party  of  all  those  who 
journeyed  to  Chicago  in  those  hot  days  of  the  last 
of  May  and  the  first  of  June.  Only  one  of  the  car's 
occupants  gave  token  of  serious  thought,  and  his 
reproachful  face  cleared,  as  if  by  magic,  when  the 
name  "  Jack  "  fell  from  a  certain  saucy  mouth,  or  a 
pair  of  dancing  blue  eyes  singled  him  out  for  their 
target. 

To  the  very  last  Jack  had  cherished  a  forlorn  hope 
that  a  kind  providence  would  prevent  Dick  Gans 
from  going  on  the  trip.  But  both  Dick  and  Tom 
were  on  hand  when  the  time  came,  and  Jack  almost 
wished  that  it  was  his  chances  of  going  which  had 
been  jeoparded  when  he  heard  Molly  say,  "  Dick 
you  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  you  are  along.  I've 
got  ever  so  many  things  to  tell  you." 

To  Jack's  private  ear  Molly  confided,  "  Now,  you 
must  be  very  nice  to  Maizie  Bradford.  Tom  is  so 
taken  up  with  Ellen  Harper  you  see,  that  he  is  hope 
less." 

Jack's  education  was  so  far  advanced  that  he 
did  not  voice  the  question  which  instantly  suggested 
itself,  "  But  what's  the  matter  with  Dick  Gans  enter 
taining  her?"  Instead  he  replied,  "She  is  a  very 
jolly  girl,"  and,  presently,  went  over,  and  began  to 
talk  to  Miss  Bradford.  Yet  he  brooded  on  Molly's 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  291 

speech,  and  placed  the  inevitable,  uncomfortable  con 
struction  upon  it.  Moreover,  he  bored  Miss  Brad 
ford,  who  was  a  pretty  girl  and  a  lively  conversation 
alist,  so  that  she  sought  refuge  in  the  company  of  her 
hostess,  while  he  remained  alone,  to  brood  some 
more,  until  he  saw  Dick  Gans  arise  quickly  and  be 
take  himself  into  the  smoking  car.  The  door  had 
not  closed  on  that  gentleman's  back  when  Jack 
dropped  into  the  vacant  wicker  chair  by  Molly's  side. 

She  had  been  gazing  out  of  the  window.  Now 
she  turned  with  a  little  start,  and  remarked,  "  Oh, 
it's  you?  I  wondered  if  you  remembered  that  I 
was  in  the  party." 

"  If — ?  Why,  I've  been  wanting  to  talk  to  you  all 
along." 

"Why,  didn't  you  then?" 

"  I  was  with  Miss  Bradford.  It  wouldn't  have 
been  just  polite  would  it?  " 

She  lifted  her  chin  airily.  "  Then,  she  is  not 
there  now?"  She  twisted  her  head,  and  seemed 
very  much  astonished  to  find  that  Miss  Bradford's 
chair  was  empty.  "  So  you  came  to  me  when  she 
left  you?"  she  said  cuttingly.  ''  You  are  very 
thoughtful." 

Jack  was  nettled.  "  You  told  me  yourself,  you 
may  remember,  that  I  was " 

"  To  be  nice  to  Maizie  ?  I  needn't  have  taken  the 
trouble,  it  appears.  I  didn't  suppose  that  you  were 
so  anxious  to  do  it." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  292 

"  I've  been  sitting  there  like  a  stupid  owl  all  the 
time,  and  looking  everywhere  but  at  her." 

"  That  was  very  rude,"  she  said  severely.  Then, 
with  fresh  interest,  "  You  don't  think  she  noticed 
it?" 

"  She  couldn't  help  it,"  he  answered  carelessly. 

"  Oh !  I  am  so  sorry." 

"  Sorry  I  was — looking  over  here?  " 

"  No,  sorry  for  Maizie,  sorry  that  you  didn't  enter 
tain  her.  You  must  go  to  her  again,  and  make  up 
for  your  inattention." 

"When?" 

"When?   When— Dick  comes  back." 

"  I  don't  think  I  will,"  he  replied  stubbornly,  "  I 
prefer  to  sit  here." 

"Do  you?"  arching  her  eyebrows.  She  became 
interested  in  the  landscape. 

"  Yes,  I  do.  And,  look  here,  Molly !  Am  I  going 
to  escort  Miss  Bradford  all  of  this  trip  ?  " 

"  Did  she  say  you  might?  " 

"  I  haven't  asked  her,  and  I  don't  in " 

"  You  don't  have  to  ask  her,  perhaps.  She  likes 
you,  and  I  want  you  to  like  her." 

"Why?" 

"  Because." 

"Because  why?" 

"  Because  she's  my  dearest  friend." 

This  was  not  conclusive  to  Jack.  But  he  did  not 
push  along  that  line  further;  skirmishing  makes 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  293 

even  the  volunteer  wary.  "  All  right/'  he  said, 
"  then  I'll  do  what  I  can  to  entertain  her.  She's 
coming  back  to  her  old  seat  now;  she  has  a  book. 
I'll  go  over  and  read  to  her."  He  spoke  calmly, 
almost  cheerfully. 

Molly  stole  a  look  at  his  face,  and  found  it  in 
scrutable.  Still  gazing  out  of  the  window,  she  said 
judicially,  "  I  don't  think  she — cares  to  be  read  to. 
Besides,  it's  bad  for  the  eyes  to  read  in  the 
cars." 

"  Suppose,  then,  that  I  get  her  to  stop  reading, 
and  talk?" 

"  You  said  you  were  stupid  when  you  talked  to 
her  before.  She's  my  friend;  I  don't  want  her 
bored." 

"  No,  that's  so.  But,"— hopefully,— "  I  might  do 
better  this  time.  Shall  I  try?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said  impatiently,  and  he  started  to 
rise.  He  had  flung  the  challenge,  and  she  taken  it 
up;  there  could  be  no  backing  down  for  him  now. 
But,  when  he  was  on  his  feet,  she  added  without 
turning  her  head  and  in  a  voice  that  it  did  not  seem 
possible  he  could  hear,  "  I  wonder  what  I  shall  do — 
all  alone — by  myself  ?  " 

Immediately  he  sat  down  again,  but,  apparently 
she  still  imagined  that  she  was  speaking  solely  for 
her  own  benefit;  for  she  answered  her  question 
herself.  "  I  know  what.  I'll  send  for  Dick."  She 
turned  as  she  spoke,  and  saw  Jack.  "What?  Are 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  294 

you  back  again?5'  When  he  did  not  answer,  she 
went  on,  "  Well,  it  won't  be  long  till  Dick  comes." 

"I'll  not  wait  on  Dick's  pleasure,"  he  declared 
fiercely. 

"  But  you  will  on  mine?  " 

His  resentment  melted.  "  Yes,  if  you'll  be — if 
you'll — Oh,  you  know  what  I  mean !  " 

He  tried  to  make  her  look  at  him,  but  she  was 
gazing  out  of  the  window.  "  Molly ;"  he  said.  She 
pretended  not  to  hear.  "  Molly !  "  he  repeated. 

Her  face  came  about  swiftly.  "  Did  you  speak  to 
me?" 

"  Yes,  I  wanted  to  know  if — you'll  be — the  way 
I  want?" 

"  I'll  try." 

"Is  it  hard?" 

"  Not  so — very  hard." 

"  Then,  you  don't  want  me  to  escort  Miss  Brad 
ford  all  the  time  ?" 

"Did  I  say  so?" 

"You  intimated  it." 

"  Well,  I  guess,  I  don't  want  you  to — all  the 
time." 

"Half  the  time?" 

"  There  are  three  girls  in  this  party,"  she  saiS. 

"  Then  I'm  to  go  the  rounds  ?  An  equal  division 
of  my  time  to  each  girl  ?  Is  that  it  ?  " 

"  That's  fair,  don't  you  think  so  ?  You're  so 
popular,  you  know." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  295 

He  reddened,  and  muttered  something.  "  Don't 
get  angry,"  she  warned.  "  You'll  spoil  your  good 
looks." 

He  started  to  rise.  "  And,  I  think,  Tom  Rowell 
— would  be  willing  to  take  your  share  of  Ellen's 
company, — if  you  knew  what  to  do  with  your  time," 
she  added  with  provoking  slowness. 

He  looked  at  her  doubtfully.  "  Do  you  mean 
that?"  he  asked. 

"What?" 

"That  I  can  be  with  you — when?" 

"With  me?"  Her  eyes  opened  wide.  "Why, 
yes,  you  can  be  with  me,  I  guess.  That  is  when 
I'm  not — with  Dick." 

"  Hang  Dick !  "  he  said  savagely.  She  gave  him  a 
horrified  glance.  "Mr.  Doran!"  she  exclaimed, 
and  finished,  "  There's  Dick  now !  I  suppose,  his 
cigar  wasn't  good." 

"  Did  he  leave  you  for  a  cigar?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  replied  instantly.  "  I  told  him,  I 
wanted  to  be — "  Dick's  approach  cut  short  her  ex 
planation.  He  halted  beside  her  chair,  and  said 
something  about  the  smoking  car  being  hot.  He 
didn't  look  comfortable.  But  he  made  no  move  to 
sit  down. 

Suddenly,  Molly  said  to  Jack,  "Oh,  I  forgot! 
Don't  tell  that  to  anyone." 

"  Wha — ?"  began  Jack,  then  saw  the  frown 
leveled  at  him  from  beneath  a  mass  of  curls,  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  296 

laughed.  "  No,  of  course,  not/'  he  answered.  To 
himself  he  said,  "  Now,  what  the  dickens,  is  it  I'm 
not  to  tell?" 

Dick  did  not  stay.  He  went  over  to  where  Maizie 
Bradford  sat.  Jack  whispered  to  Molly,  "  I  caught 
your  frown  just  in  time." 

"  Frown?    Did  I  frown?" 

"  Yes,  you  did.    Why  was  it?  " 

"  Maybe  it  was  my  hair ;  it's  always  blowing  in 
my  face,  and  tickling  me."  She  put  up  a  slim  hand, 
and  patted  her  hair.  It  was  in  perfect  order. 

"  But  you  said  to  me,  '  don't  tell  ?  '  "  persisted 
Jack. 

"  Do  you  like  my  hair  better  done  up  this  way, 
or  low  down?"  she  asked.  She  turned  her  profile 
to  him  that  he  might  judge  fairly.  But  her  eyes  re 
mained  on  his.  They  glanced  at  him  sideways.  Her 
chin  was  lifted;  a  distracting  curve  of  throat  and 
neck  rewarded  Jack.  One  hand  rested  on  the  arm 
of  the  chair.  The  fingers  curled,  a  rosy  palm  up 
turned. 

Suddenly,  the  world  was  whirling  round  Jack. 
He  leaned  forward — a  critical  attitude — and  put  out 
a  hand — to  steady  himself.  He  was  amazed  to  have 
it  come  in  contact  with  a  capital  support  in  the  form 
of  the  arm  of  her  chair.  He  had  to  run  his  fingers 
along  this  to  be  sure  that  it  was  what  it  seemed  to 
be ;  and  found  that  it  was  all  unyielding  wicker-work. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  297 

But  his  fingers  tingled  nevertheless  and  his  voice 
trembled  as  he  said,  "  I  like  it  better — down." 

"  And  after  I  wore  it  this  way  because — because 
I  liked  it  best !  "  she  pouted.  She  patted  her  hair 
again  with  both  hands,  and  dropped  them  on  her 
lap. 

"  Oh,  but  that's  the  way  I  mean  I  like  your  hair 
— the  way  you  have  it,"  Jack  corrected.  "  Wear  it 
always  that  way." 

"Why?" 

"  To  please  me." 

"You  conceited  thing!" 

"But  you  will  wear  it  that  way,  won't  you? 
I  like  your  hair  so  much." 

"  Yes,  my  hair  is  my  only  good  point.  Now — my 
nose " 

"  Is  the  prettiest  could  be." 

She  tip-tilted  it— to  judge  for  herself.  "  But  it's 
a  pug,"  she  sighed.  "  And  my  eyes " 

"  Let's  see  them  ?  "  begged  Jack.  She  flashed 
on  him  a  look  which  staggered  him,  and  he  ex 
claimed,  "  Your  eyes !  They're  beautiful — and 

they're  blue !  And,  oh,  Molly !  "  He  stammered, 

then  halted.  There  was  no  mistake ;  the  whirling  of 
the  world  had  completely  upset  him. 

But  the  surroundings  of  the  car — as  well  as  other 
things — were  obvious  to  Molly.  She  bent  forward 
swiftly.  "  Look !  Do  look  at  that  old  farmer  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  298 

that  horse !  "  she  cried.  "  It's  running  away !  "  Her 
nose  was  pressed  against  the  window  glass.  Her 
back  was  turned  on  Jack.  A  sense  of  his  environ 
ment,  and,  perhaps,  of  other  things,  returned  to 
him.  But  he  was  not  polite.  He  refused  to  give 
even  a  glance  to  the  farmer  and  the  horse  of  runaway 
inclinations. 

Mrs.  Chambers  came  over,  and  he  gave  her  his 
chair,  and  went  to  get  another  for  himself.  As  he 
passed  Dick  Cans  he  noted  that  the  latter  apparently 
was  deep  in  a  confidential  conversation  with  Maizie 
Bradford.  Wheeling  about,  he  caught  Molly's 
eyes  fixed  on  the  same  couple.  She  didn't  seem  to 
be  pleased  for  some  reason;  and,  thereupon,  Jack's 
face  reflected  her  dissatisfaction,  all  of  which  was 
extremely  unfair  to  the  object  of  this  displeasure, 
since  he  was  only  doing  what  Jack  was  glad  to  have 
him  do  and  what  Molly  should  have  wished  him  to 
do  in  the  case  of  her  "  dearest  friend."  It  must  have 
been  this  thought  which  reproached  her  as  Jack  came 
up;  for  she  said  to  her  mother,  "  Dick  is  always  so 
nice  to  everybody.  He  doesn't  especially  care  for 
Maizie,  yet  he's  over  there  doing  all  that  he  can  to 
make  her  think  that  he  does." 

The  faintest  of  smiles  touched  Mrs.  Chambers's 
lips,  but  she  made  no  reply.  She  talked  with  the 
other  two  until  the  first  call  for  dinner  summoned 
them ;  and,  when  they  arose,  Jack  realized  that  they 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  299 

had  been  speaking  a  great  deal  about  himself,  and 
that  Molly's  part  in  the  conversation  had  not  been 
large.  He  wondered  why  it  was  that  Mrs.  Cham 
bers  always  reminded  him  so  much  of  his  mother. 

That  evening  the  party  gathered  in  a  little  circle, 
and  Jack — who  was  next  to  Maizie  Bradford — dis 
covered  that  she  was  not  bad  company — under  the 
circumstances.  But  Tom  Rowell  who  occupied  a 
chair  near  to  The  Other  Girl,  and  Dick  Gans  who 
was  between  Mrs.  Chambers  and  his  host,  apparently 
were  less  contented.  Indeed,  Dick,  at  nine  o'clock, 
asked  if  he  might  be  excused  while  he  smoked  a 
cigar,  and  stalked  away,  saying  he  would  be  back 
in  half  an  hour. 

Jack  saw  a  tiny  frown  gather  on  Molly's  fore 
head.  She  sat  silent  for  a  few  minutes,  then  smoth 
ered  a  pretty,  little  yawn  with  a  hand,  and  laugh 
ingly  declared  that  she  couldn't  keep  her  eyes  open 
another  minute.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chambers  confessed 
to  the  same  weakness,  and  the  circle  broke  up. 

Tom  and  The  Other  Girl  decided  to  take  a  look 
out  of  the  observation  end  of  the  car.  "  To  see  that 
the  track's  all  right  behind  us,"  as  Tom  explained 
to  Jack,  when  the  latter  winked  at  him. 

Jack  was  left  alone  with  Molly  who  had  lost  her 
handkerchief  and  was  hunting  for  it.  He  kneeled 
down,  and  found  it  for  her.  She  thanked  him,  and 
held  out  her  hand.  "  Good  night,  Jack,"  she  said. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  300 

There  is  mischief  in  blue  eyes  under  the  shaded 
light  of  lamps,  and  Jack  held  her  hand.  "  Good 
night,  Molly,"  he  said.  Then,  "  Molly,  why  is  it 
that  you  try  to  make  me — miserable?" 

"  Why,  Mr.  Doran— !  "  she  began.  But  the  lips 
that  were  at  the  beginning  of  a  little  mouth  of  won 
derment  took  it  on  themselves  to  droop,  and  their 
allies,  the  blue  eyes,  realizing  that  they  were  be 
trayed,  wavered,  then  hid  themselves.  But,  again, 
they  could  not  resist  a  shy  peep  at  the  dark  ones 
which  had  put  them  to  confusion,  and  what  they 
saw  there  made  their  owner  say,  "  I  don't  know  why 
I  tease  you;  but  it  must  be  because  you  are  so  easy 
to  tease,  and  because  I  like  you,  Jack." 

"  Oh,  Molly ! "  he  said,  in  breathless  hurry  to 
voice  something  which  throbbed  at  his  wrists  and 
temples.  "  Go  on  teasing,  if  you  want  to — if  you 
like  me." 

She  drew  away  her  hand,  and  twisted  a  little 
corner  in  her  handkerchief.  "  And,  Molly,"  he 
added ;  "  don't  you  like  me  better  than  you  did  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you'll  like  me— better  still?  " 

"  I — I — hope  so."  Suddenly  her  eyes  were  raised 
again,  this  time  from  the  handkerchief  which  she 
was  still  twisting.  They  were  so  tender  and  deep 
and  a  trifle  uncertain! 

Jack  found  himself  pitying  them,  somehow.     He 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  301 

felt  the  tears  start  in  his  own,  and  was  not  ashamed. 
"  I'm  going  to  keep  on  trying  to  make  you  like  me 
better — all  the  time,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  "  You 
can't  stop  me  doing  that." 

"  I  don't  want  to,"  she  answered,  and  fled. 

Jack  stood  where  he  was.  Then  he  saw  on  the 
floor  a  bit  of  cambric  with  one  corner  tied  in  a  tight 
little  knot.  He  picked  it  up  and  hid  it.  He  wouldn't 
have  untied  that  knot  for  all  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XVI  302 

THEY  were  standing  on  a  balcony  which  ran 
along  outside  their  windows  on  the  third 
floor  of  the  hotel.  It  was  half  past  four 
o'clock  of  the  day  of  their  arrival  in  Chicago, — 
June  the  fourth.  Below  them,  as  far  as  they  could 
see,  the  pavements  were  thick  with  men.  Everyone 
was  in  a  hurry.  It  was  in  the  hotel  section  of  the 
town,  now  a  hive  of  activity,  thrumming  with  the 
voices  and  movements  of  those  who  poured  in  and 
out  of  the  headquarters  of  the  various  State  Delega 
tions.  It  was  the  third  day  of  the  big  Convention — 
the  third  day  of  the  greatest  struggle  between  fac 
tions  which  has  ever  marked  the  selection  of  a  Presi 
dential  nominee. 

Mr.  Chambers  spoke  to  the  rest  of  the  party. 
"  Do  you  see  that  building  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  way,  in  the  next  block?  The  one  hung  with 
bunting?  " 

"  I  can  see  half  a  dozen  with  flags  and  signs  on 
them,"  answered  Molly. 

But  Jack  singled  out  the  building,  and  pointed  it 
to  the  rest.  Dick  Cans  at  once  said,  "  That's  where 
the  delegation  from  our  state  is.  You  can  read  the 
name  over  the  door,  if  you  look  close." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  303 

Molly  exclaimed  that  she  saw  it.  "  I  wonder  if 
Jimmy's  there — now  ?  "  she  added. 

"Very  likely,"  said  Mr.  Chambers;  "  for  it's  one 
of  the  busiest  places  in  the  city  to-day.  The  old 
state  is  playing  a  big  part  in  this  Convention." 

"  It's  what  they  call  a  pivotal  state,  you  see,"  ex 
plained  Dick  to  Molly. 

"  That  term  applies  only  to  an  election,"  cor 
rected  Jack. 

"  It  applies  in  this  case,  too,"  returned  Dick. 
"  Our  state  is  the  pivot  of  this  Convention.  It  was 
our  delegation  that  defeated  the  Unit  Rule." 

"  Well,  go  ahead,  Mr.  Know-it-all !  "  Molly  ad 
monished,  when  he  halted.  "  Explain  the  Unit 
Rule,  sir!" 

Tom  Rowell  also  called  for  an  explanation.  Dick 
Cans  smiled  patronizingly.  "  It  was  a  rule  pro 
viding  that  every  State  Delegation  should  vote  as  a 
unit  on  the  nomination,"  he  said  lazily. 

"  A  fact  that  we  knew  already,"  commented 
Molly.  "  You  are  not  going  to  get  off  with  that  lame 
explanation." 

It  happened  that  Mrs.  Chambers  had  just  asked  a 
question  about  the  Unit  Rule,  and  her  husband  took 
up  the  explication.  "  The  rule  provided,"  he 
said,  "  that  each  delegation  should  vote  unanimously 
on  every  question  which  was  to  be  decided  by  vote 
in  the  Convention.  It  made  no  difference  what  a 
minority  of  the  members  of  a  delegation  thought 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  304 

on  a  question ;  the  majority  of  the  delegates  in  that 
delegation  spoke  for  themselves  and  for  the  minority 
as  well.  Every  vote  in  every  delegation  was  to  be 
cast  as  the  majority  of  the  delegation  willed. 
There's  been  righting  in  plenty  over  this  rule  be 
fore." 

"  It  does  n't  seem  to  me  to  be  a  fair  rule  in  a 
country  like  ours  where  every  man  is  supposed  to 
have  his  say,"  ventured  Miss  Bradford. 

"  That's  what  a  lot  of  people  in  our  state  thought," 
amended  Tom.  "  There  was  the  biggest  kind  of  a 
row  over  it  at  the  State  Convention." 

"  Now,  Dick,  explain,"  commanded  Molly.  "  If 
you  don't  get  rid  of  some  of  your  superfluous  infor 
mation,  you'll  burst." 

Tom  and  Jack  exchanged  glances  of  satisfaction. 
Dick  Gans  often  was  better  informed  than  they  on 
public  questions,  but  he  was  also  inclined  to  be  super 
cilious.  He  did  not  show  to  advantage  on  the  rack ; 
and  Molly  was  conversant  with  the  tortures  most 
distressing  to  him  and  delectable  to  others. 

Dick  understood  his  position,  but  he  answered 
quickly  enough,  "  The  thing  is  really  very  simple. 
The  Grant  people  wanted  the  Unit  Rule,  the  rest 
didn't.  So  there  was  a  row." 

A  peal  of  laughter  greeted  this  primary  lesson 
in  cause  and  effect,  and  the  speaker  did  not  accept 
his  humiliation  with  the  proper  grace,  so  Molly 
prodded  him  with  the  question,  "  Why  did  the  Grant 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  305 

people  want  the  Unit  Rule?  That's  what  we  wish 
to  know." 

Mr.  Chambers  intervened.  "  It  wasn't  absolutely 
clear  at  the  start — at  least  not  to  outsiders — why  the 
Grant  people  did  want  it.  But  it  came  out  that 
Senator  Mabie  and  others  who  were  for  Grant  be 
lieved  that,  by  making  every  delegation  cast  the  full 
strength  of  its  vote  on  one  side  or  the  other,  Grant 
would  be  a  gainer.  It  is  said  that  Grant  is  favored 
by  a  majority  of  the  members  of  enough  delegations 
to  secure  for  him  the  nomination,  if  the  vote  was  by 
delegations,  and  not  by  individuals.  But,  with  the 
delegations  split  up,  the  minorities  make  a  formida 
ble  opposition  to  Grant.  If  they  could  be  brought 
to  agree  upon  a  candidate,  they  would  be  able  to 
elect  him,  perhaps." 

"  Our  State  is  split  up  that  way,"  supplemented 
Jack.  "  You  know  Jimmy  is  against  both  Senator 
Mabie  and  Senator  Corson  who  are  great  Grant 
men." 

"  That  is  what  I  referred  to  when  I  said  our  State 
is  playing  such  a  big  part  in  the  Convention,"  re 
sumed  Mr.  Chambers.  "If  our  state  had  voted  as 
one  man,  fifty-eight  votes  would  have  been  given  to 
Grant — enough  to  elect  him,  some  say.  But  that 
particular  issue  is  dead  now.  Hoar,  the  Permanent 
Chairman  of  the  Convention  refused  to  be  bulldozed, 
and,  practically,  put  the  question  of  the  Unit  Rule 
before  the  Convention  for  settlement  yesterday.  The 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  306 

Convention  decided  to  give  every  man  his  vote, 
whether  in  a  minority  or  not.  That  killed  the  Unit 
Rule.  Moreover,  it  makes  it  unlikely  that  Mabie 
or  anyone  else  will  be  able  to  persuade  the  minority 
in  our  delegation  to  join  hands  with  the  Grant 
people." 

"  No,  they'll  never  persuade  Jimmy,"  affirmed 
Jack  heartily.  "  Jimmy's  as  stubborn  as  a  mule, 
once  he's  made  up  his  mind." 

"  That's  my  own  idea,"  remarked  Mr.  Chambers. 
"  And,  if  Devlin  holds  out,  it  means  the  toughest 
kind  of  a  fight  for  the  Grant  crowd.  They  need  his 
twenty  odd  votes.  It  will  be  a  bitter  pill  for 
Senator  Mabie  to  swallow  after  the  boasts  he's 
made." 

"  But  Mabie  and  Corson  are  going  to  have  their 
way  in  the  end,"  declared  Dick,  wagging  his  head. 
"  They  are  on  the  right  side.  Devlin  represents  but 
a  few  delegates,  at  best." 

"  You  are  a  strong  Grant  man  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am — the  strongest  kind.  And  I'm  going 
to  have  the  chance  to  vote  for  him  for  President, 
too." 

He  spoke  with  such  an  air  of  assurance  that  Mol 
ly's  nose  was  elevated.  She  said  to  Jack  aside, 
"  You've  got  a  vote  this  time.  I  want  you  to  vote 
the  other  way." 

"  I  will,"  he  said,  speaking  up.  "  My  vote  goes 
for  Elaine." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  307 

"  Elaine  will  never  be  nominated,"  laughed  Dick 
scornfully. 

Mrs.  Chambers  smiled.  "  Why  don't  you  both 
address  the  Convention  ?  "  she  suggested.  There  was 
a  general  laugh.  But  neither  Dick  nor  Jack  weak 
ened.  "  I  wish  Jimmy  'would  speak  in  the  Conven 
tion,"  said  Molly,  presently. 

"  Devlin  is  not  a  speaker/'  commented  Dick  with 
an  air  that  implied  that  the  said  Devlin  was  not  much 
of  anything. 

"  But  you'll  let  him  speak  for  himself  this  time, 
won't  you  ?  "  remarked  some  one  back  of  them.  It 
was  Jimmy.  He  was  neatly  dressed  and  smooth 
shaven  as  usual,  but  there  were  weary  lines  about  his 
restless,  fever-burning  eyes  to  dispute  supremacy 
with  his  smile  and  blithe  tones. 

Mr.  Chambers  shook  hands  with  him,  and  Mrs. 
Chambers  presented  him  to  the  party.  Jimmy  bowed 
and  shook  hands  with  Molly.  "  How  are  you,  old 
boy?"  he  asked,  grabbing  Jack's  arm.  Then  he 
handed  Mr.  Chambers  a  bunch  of  tickets,  strapped 
together.  "  There  are  th'  cards  of  admission  to  th' 
Convention — one  for  each  day?"  he  said.  "I'm 
glad  you  took  my  advice  and  didn't  come  on  earlier. 
It  was  very  hot  here.  Mrs.  Chambers,  did  you 
suffer  much  from  th'  heat?  " 

"  No,"  she  replied.  "  We  had  a  car  to  ourselves, 
you  know,  and  didn't  have  to  stop  on  the  road,  as 
I  hear  that  you  had  to  do." 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  308 

'  Yes,  we  laid  by,  but  we  weren't  in  a  great  hurry 
to  get  here.  We  knew  what  we  were  running  into. 
We  have  been  busy  enough  since  we  came,  though." 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,"  demanded  Molly.  She 
threw  him  one  of  her  dazzling  smiles.  Jack  decided 
that  Jimmy  must  be  of  cast-iron  if  he  could  with 
stand  that. 

But  Jimmy  only  said,  "  What  can  I  tell  you  ? 
Th'  newspapers  know  more  than  we  do." 

"  Tell  us  about — Senator  Corson  and  Senator 
Mabie.  What  are  they  doing?  " 

"  Still  working  for  Grant." 

"  But  I  thought  you  had  had  a  fight  with  them, 
and  won?  " 

"  A  fight  ?  7  haven't  been  doin'  much  fighting. 
I've  been  looking  on  and — '  sawing  wood.'  ' 

The  men  laughed.  Molly  was  dissatisfied.  "  I've 
read  the  newspapers,  and  tried  to  understand  them; 
and  the  rest  have  just  been  explaining  about  that 
horrid  Unit  Rule;  but  I  don't  understand  yet,  Mr. 
Devlin.  Now,  you  know  all  about  it;  won't  you 
tell  me  just  what  they've  done — since  the  Convention 
began?" 

Jimmy  whistled  softly.  "  Now,  I've  put  my  foot 
in  it !  "  he  ejaculated.  "  Why,  to  tell  you  that  would 
take  me  all  night,  and  I  wouldn't  be  through  then." 

"  But  tell  me  the  important  things — so  that  I'll 
know  what's  coming  when  we  go  to  the  Convention 
to-morrow." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  309 

Jimmy's  face  reflected  his  helplessness,  but  he  said, 
presently,  ''All  right;  I'll  do  my  best.  On  th'  first 
day  of  th'  Convention  seven  hundred  and  fifty  odd 
delegates  met,  organized  and  selected  Senator  Hoar 
of  Massachusetts  for  Permanent  Chairman;  and  he 
appointed  th'  committees.  Then  they  decided  to 
admit  to  th'  Convention  all  th'  anti-Grant  delegates." 

"  Good !  "  exclaimed  Molly.  She  understood  that 
this  was  a  victory  for  Jimmy's  side. 

He  smiled.  "  Yes,  it  was  good.  And  yes 
terday  they  did  better,  when  they  abolished  that 
'  horrid  '  Unit  Rule." 

"  Does  that  mean  that  Elaine  will  be  elected  ?  I 
mean  isn't  that  what  the — Bosses  think?  " 

"  No,"  he  replied  with  a  gravity  becoming  this 
appeal  to  his  professional  confidence.  "  It  doesn't 
even  mean  that  Elaine  will  be  nominated.  But  it  is 
a  big  step  in  th'  right  direction.  And,  now,  about 
— to-day?  Let's  see!  At  this  morning's  session  th' 
Convention  spent  five  hours  in  talking.  This  eve 
ning  they're  not  likely  to  do  much  more.  So  I  ad 
vise  you  to  wait  till  to-morrow  to  go.  Th'  nomina 
tion  speeches  will  most  likely  be  made  then." 

"  Now,  I  know  it  all,  and  I'm  very  much  obliged," 
said  Molly.  "  But  what  have  you  been  doing?  The 
truth,  remember." 

"Me?"  echoed  Jimmy.  He  shifted  his  feet,  and 
mechanically  began  to  button  up  his  coat.  "  I 
haven't  been  doin'  much — except  '  sawing  wood.1  ' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  310 

"  Was  it — '  sawing  wood  '  when  you  got  those 
twenty-two  men,  day  before  yesterday,  to  sign  that 
paper  that  they  never,  never  would  vote  for  Grant?  " 
pursued  Molly.  It  was  one  of  the  few  things  of 
which  she  had  carried  away  a  distinct  impression 
from  her  reading  of  the  newspapers. 

Jimmy's  face  lighted  up.  "  Oh,  that  wasn't  much 
— so  th'  other  fellows  say,"  he  protested,  but  his  voice 
proclaimed  that  he  was  of  a  different  opinion  person 
ally. 

"  But  you  won't  give  in  to  them,  will  you?  "  This 
was  for  the  especial  instruction  of  Dick. 

"Give  in?"  The  muscles  about  Jimmy's  mouth 
tightened,  his  eyes  grew  earnest.  "  No,  we  won't 
give  in.  There  are  twenty-five  delegates  from  our 
state,  behind  me,  who  are  goin'  to  vote  against 
Grant  till  the  last  horn  blows.  We  are  goin'  to 
nominate  James  G.  Elaine  for  President — if  it's  to  be 
done." 

"  There !  I  knew  you  were  a  speaker,"  Molly 
cried.  "  And  you  will  address  the  Convention, 
won't  you?  " 

Jimmy  looked  a  trifle  ashamed  of  his  outburst. 
"  No,  no,  I  won't  speak,"  he  returned  hastily.  "  I'm 
a  worker,  not  a  talker.  But  I'll  be  at  th'  Conven 
tion,  and  I'll  keep  an  eye  out  for  you.  I've  got  to 
go  now.  Good-bye,  all !  " 

That  evening  Molly's  persuasions  prevailed  over 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  311 

Mr.  Chambers's  fatigue,  and  the  party,  Mrs.  Cham 
bers  excepted,  threaded  their  way  among  the  crowds 
on  the  streets,  now  and  then  listening  to  the  curb 
stone  orators. 

The  crowds  were  larger  than  during  the  after 
noon.  There  were  more  onlookers  abroad ;  the  num 
ber  of  men  wearing  badges  was  smaller,  most  of  them 
being  at  the  Convention.  Here  and  there  a  knot  of 
listeners  surrounded  a  vociferous  and  perspiring  gen 
tleman  who,  mounted  on  a  box  or  convenient  car 
riage  block,  hat  and  coat  pushed  back,  banged  one 
hand  with  a  fist,  and  waved  his  arms.  The  blare  of 
horns  and  the  beat  of  drums  drew  streams  of  pedes 
trians  in  the  wake  of  marching  clubs.  Some  of  these 
paraders  were  singing.  To  the  tune  of  "  Old  Folks 
at  Home,"  two  hundred  men  kept  time  with  the 
following  words : 

"  Lo!  in  our  Nation's  glorious  morning, 

Young  and  free  and  fair  ; 
Hark,  to  our  patriot  father's  warning  ! 

Sounding  thro'  the  air. 
Sainted  spirits  hover  o'er  us, 

God  sent  from  on  high, 
Pointing  to  yawning  gulfs  before  us, 

To  the  lee  shore  nigh." 

Another  party  of  three  hundred  or  more  sang  to 
the  air  of  "  When  Johnny  Comes  Marching  Home," 
the  following: 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  312 

"  We'll  guard  the  law.     Aye,  let  it  stand. 

Hurrah  !   Hurrah  ! 
A  mighty  rock  for  Freedom's  land. 

Hurrah  !    Hurrah  ! 
No  third  !  No  fourth  !  No  other  term  ! 

Of  Royalty  the  slightest  germ. 
The  third  term  scheme  the  people 
Do  condemn." 

A  third  parade  turned  from  a  cross  street  as  the 
party  were  making  their  way  homeward.  Secure  on 
the  steps  of  a  nearby  house  they  watched  a 
hundred  men  go  by.  Tow  Rowell  declared  that  the 
paraders  were  from  their  own  city.  "  I  saw  them 
marching  a  few  days  before  we  left  home,"  he  said. 
"  Look  at  their  transparency !  " 

On  the  transparency  was  inscribed : 

A  Party  without  a  Master, 
A  Candidate  without  a  Stain. 

"  A  Grant  club,"  affirmed  Dick. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  declared  Tom.  "  It's  a  Elaine 
club." 

"  It's  the  National  Club — an  anti-Grant  Club  from 
our  city."  said  Mr.  Chambers.  "  I  remember  them 
now." 

Molly  pointed  to  the  fat  man  who  leaned  far  back 
ward  to  balance  the  transparency  which  he  bore. 
But  Jack  did  not  respond.  Close  to  the  last  file  of 
marching  men  in  frock  coats  and  silk  hats,  he  saw  a 
tall  figure  with  something  familiar  in  its  carriage. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  313 

The  man  had  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  one  of  his  arms 
was  linked  in  that  of  a  companion.  He  lurched,  now 
and  then;  he  was  laughing.  Jack  recognized  his 
father,  and  he  bent  down,  as  if  to  tie  his  shoe.  He 
did  not  straighten  up  until  his  father's  figure  was 
silhouetted  against  the  glare  of  the  torches.  Then 
he  gave  a  quick  look  at  Molly.  She  was  talking  to 
Maizie  Bradford;  he  drew  a  breath  of  relief. 

Going  back  they  stopped  in  front  of  one  of  the 
hotels  over  whose  doorway  were  strips  of  painted 
canvas  bearing  the  names  of  three  states,  indicat 
ing  that  the  place  was  the  headquarters  of  as  many 
delegations.  The  hotel  rotunda  resembled  a  stock 
exchange  on  the  day  of  a  lively  market.  A  noisy 
mob  of  men  talked,  gesticulated  and  smoked.  Most 
of  them  were  red  and  perspiring;  each  one  seemed 
to  be  alive  to  his  public  responsibilities,  and  was 
desirous  that  onlookers  should  observe  this.  Mes 
senger  boys  darted  from  the  throng  and  were  swal 
lowed  up  in  the  crowds  on  the  pavement. 

Molly  wanted  to  go  into  this  hotel.  She  declared 
that  the  only  way  to  appreciate  a  Convention  was 
to  see  the  whole  thing.  But  her  uncle  promptly 
vetoed  the  proposition.  "  The  crowds  were  too 
rough  at  night." 

'*  Then  I  shall  ask  Jimmy  to  take  me  in  the  first 
chance — in  the  daytime,"  she  declared.  "  I'm  sure 
we'd  hear  who  was  going  to  be  elected  if  we  were 
in  there." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  314 

Half  an  hour  before  the  Convention  opened  on  the 
following  day,  Mr.  Chambers's  party  were  in  their 
places.  They  were  in  the  second  row  of  the  seats 
reserved  for  ticket  holders.  From  their  position  they 
could  see  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  building  and 
commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  Speaker's  stand. 

Ten  thousand  people  were  in  this  hall  which  was 
a  part  of  the  huge  exposition  building.  The  galleries 
were  packed.  The  summer  gowns  of  the  women 
touched  with  gay  color  the  banks  of  sober-hued  coats 
and  white  shirt  fronts  which  rose  on  three  sides  of 
the  building  from  the  edge  of  the  delegates'  floor  up 
to  and  under  the  galleries.  The  building  was  in  the 
form  of  a  vast  ellipse.  Around  the  columns  and 
arches  supporting  the  roof  were  twisted  strips  of 
bunting.  The  national  colors  draped  transverse 
beams  and  doorways.  Set  around  the  walls,  from 
which  the  roof  trusses  sprang,  one  hundred  feet  into 
the  air,  interspersed  with  the  shields  of  the  various 
states,  were  pictures  of  the  Presidents  and  other  dis 
tinguished  men,  festooned  with  flags,  fastened  with 
rosettes.  A  large  portrait  of  Washington  was  in 
the  middle ;  another  of  Lincoln  faced  the  seat  of  the 
Chairman,  surrounded  with  the  inscription :  "  And 
the  government  of  the  people,  for  the  people,  by 
the  people  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth."  Palms 
and  other  growing  plants  filled  in  the  niches  and 
terraced  the  platforms. 

Opposite  the  main  entrance  of  the  hall,  on  a  raised 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  315 

platform,  was  the  Chairman's  seat,  back  of  him  the 
seats  of  the  National  Committee,  on  either  side  those 
of  the  distinguished  guests.  Below  spread  the  seats 
of  the  Delegates,  fronted  by  the  places  occupied  by 
the  secretaries  and  reporters.  A  pole  bearing  a 
shield  inscribed  with  the  name  of  its  state  indicated 
the  position  of  each  delegation.  Many  of  the  dele 
gates  already  had  arrived,  and  were  in  their  seats, 
or  stood  in  the  aisles,  talking  and  laughing.  These 
little  groups  were  continually  dissolving  and  form 
ing  anew.  Fresh  arrivals  poured  down  the  aisles, 
branching  off,  here  and  there,  until  the  passage-way 
was  clear.  It  was  a  great,  animated  picture,  shifting 
its  atoms  every  second,  yet  preserving  its  form  and 
color  always.  Far  above  on  the  roof  arches  crept  a 
few  daring  men  who  had  climbed  upon  the  roof  out 
side  and  so  made  their  way  through  the  long  win 
dows  into  the  building,  escaping  the  watch  of  the 
ushers.  The  promise  of  a  great  fight  was  irresistible. 

After  their  first  swift  look  around  the  hall  two 
pairs  of  eyes  among  those  in  Mr.  Chambers's  party 
searched  for  one  and  the  same  figure ;  and,  for  some 
time,  did  not  find  what  they  sought.  Then  Molly 
spied  a  short,  gray-coated  man  mounting  the  steps  to 
the  Chairman's  platform.  He  was  shaking  a  hand 
here,  nodding  to  a  man  there;  once  he  used  his 
curved  fingers  as  a  trumpet  to  send  a  message  over 
a  sea  of  heads  to  a  friend  across  the  hall. 

"  There  he  is !    There's  Jimmy !  "  she  exclaimed, 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  316 

in  her  excitement,  grabbing  Jack's  arm.  They  both 
stared,  and  involuntarily  cried,  "  Jimmy !  "  under 
their  breath;  then  looked  at  each  other,  and  laughed 
foolishly. 

Jimmy  reached  the  platform  level,  and  went  to  the 
side  of  the  Chairman.  For  several  minutes  these 
two  talked  together.  Once  the  Chairman  threw 
back  his  head  and  laughed.  When  Jimmy  turned 
to  descend  the  platform  his  watchers  tried  to  attract 
his  attention.  They  waved  their  fans  frantically,  not 
realizing  that,  among  the  thousands  of  fans  and 
folded  papers  which  moved  ceaselessly,  theirs  were 
indistinguishable. 

Nevertheless,  they  saw  Jimmy  pause,  and  gaze  in 
their  direction.  Then  he  waved  an  arm,  and  they 
both  waved  back  at  him,  and  their  signal  was  re 
turned.  "  He  said  he'd  see  us,  but  I  didn't  believe 
it,"  said  Molly. 

"  If  he  said  he'd  do  anything,  you  can  be  sure  he'd 
do  it,"  replied  Jack.  "  If  he  said  he'd  shove  the 
Chairman  out  of  that  seat,  and  put  you  in  it,  he'd 
carry  it  out, — unless  they  tied  him  up  first." 

A  scattering  fire  of  hand-clapping  and  cheers 
turned  their  eyes  upon  the  delegates'  floor. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  Maizie  Bradford. 

"  It's  Senator  Mabie  coming  in,"  Mr.  Chambers 
returned.  "  There  he  is  now !  "  He  pointed  out  a 
man  of  above  middle  height,  stoutly  built,  with  a 
large,  reddish  brown  mustache  and  thick  brown  hair. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  317 

His  big  nose  and  the  heavy  lines  of  his  jaw  could  be 
seen  even  at  that  distance.  "  Is  that  Senator 
Mabie?'"  said  Molly  scornfully.  "Why,  he  looks 
like  some — business  man." 

"  Did  you  expect  an  ogre?  "  inquired  Mr.  Cham 
bers.  "  However  your  description  isn't  bad.  But 
don't  forget — looks  are  deceptive.  And  there's 
Senator  Corson.  Right  behind  Mabie !  "  he  added. 
They  all  strained  their  eyes,  but  got  but  a  glimpse  of 
Senator's  Corson's  squat  figure  before  a  knot  of  men 
gathered  around  him.  Miss  Harper  declared  that 
celebrities  were  disappointing. 

Then  the  Chairman's  gavel  fell,  and  slowly 
the  meeting  came  to  order.  What  was  said  and  done 
in  the  next  few  minutes  was  not  easily  understood  by 
many  spectators.  The  delegates  were  settling  in  their 
seats ;  there  was  much  shuffling  of  feet,  and  a  subsid 
ing  hum  of  conversation.  Mr.  Chambers  pointed 
out  two  men  seated  near  the  Chairman.  One  of 
these  was  General  Sheridan,  of  whom  they  could  see 
little  more  than  his  head,  as  he  sat  back  of  another 
man.  The  second  man  was  of  slight  frame.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  lavender  suit,  and  carried  a  switch  cane 
with  which  he  tapped  his  boot.  He  was  inconspicu 
ous  in  every  way,  and  they  were  amazed  to  hear  that 
he  was  Prince  Leopold  of  England.  While  they 
were  discussing  him,  a  man  suddenly  walked  to  the 
front  of  the  Speaker's  pedestal;  a  hush  instantly 
fell  on  the  assemblage. 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  318 

"  It's  th'  first  nomination  speech,"  explained  a 
man  next  to  them.  "  It's  Mr.  Joy  of  Michigan. 
He'll  nominate  Elaine." 

And  so  Mr.  Joy  did,  and  got  his  share  of  applause. 
But  there  seemed  to  be  general  disappointment  over 
his  address.  Dick  Gans  was  triumphant.  "  That's 
a  fair  sample  of  the  men  who  will  talk  for  Elaine," 
he  said. 

"  It  isn't  all  in  the  speech-making,"  retorted 
Molly.  "  People  vote  to  elect  a  President.  Any 
way,  we  have  yet  to  hear  your  great  Grant  orator." 

Jack  took  up  Mr.  Joy's  cudgels,  and  soon  the 
entire  party  were  drawn  into  the  debate.  Indeed  the 
speech  of  the  man  who  nominated  Mr.  Windom  was 
almost  unheard  by  them.  But  a  burst  of  applause 
which  grew  louder  and  louder  cut  short  the  argu 
ment  at  last.  Another  man  had  taken  his  place  on 
the  Speaker's  stand,  and  every  eye  was  turned  on 
him. 

"  Roscoe  Conkling,"  said  Mr.  Chambers. 

There  was  something  in  the  figure  of  this  man, 
something  in  his  conscious  pose,  in  the  confident,  al 
most  vain  poise  of  his  head,  as  he  swept  his  glance 
over  the  hall  which  marked  him  as  a  man  of  power. 
He  seemed  to  say  to  them,  "  Here  I  am !  Regard 
me !  "  He  looked  like  a  great  actor  in  the  moment 
before  he  delivers  a  period  which  he  knows  will  stir 
his  audience. 

Molly  breathed  softly,  but  so  that  the  rest  heard 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  319 

her,  "  He  reminds  me  of  a  cavalier — of  some  old 
court." 

The  characterization  was  not  inapt.  Tall,  broad- 
shouldered,  his  body  tapering  to  flat  hips  and  long, 
firm  legs,  Conkling  stood  squarely  and  gracefully. 
His  head  was  thrown  back  a  little.  The  lines  of  his 
face  resembled  a  cameo.  The  high  forehead  on 
which  lay  a  lock  of  hair,  curling  from  the  rather 
scanty  brown  of  the  crown,  the  strong,  large  nose, 
the  carven  lips,  carried  into  jutting  prominence  by  a 
trim  beard  of  yellowed  brown,  flecked  with  gray — 
all  these  stood  out  in  bold  relief.  The  steely  glint  of 
his  eyes  pierced  his  watchers.  So  imposing  and 
magnetic  was  his  front,  for  all  of  its  theatrical  sug 
gestion,  that  the  applause  which  had  greeted  his  ap 
pearance  was  redoubled  ere  he  opened  his  lips. 

Then  his  arm  was  upraised,  silence  chained  the 
vast  hall;  and  the  thousands  hearkened  to  such  a 
speech  as  few  of  them  had  ever  heard.  As  the  minutes 
sped  by  the  words  came  from  his  lips,  without  hesita 
tion,  but  with  many  a  dramatic  pause.  They  poured 
out,  not  as  a  torrent;  but,  now  as  a  silvery  stream, 
now  as  a  strong-running  river,  now  in  the  rumbling 
organ  notes  of  a  mighty  cataract,  each  one  distinct, 
measured,  resonant,  musical ;  modulated  to  the  feeling 
of  the  speaker,  keyed  to  a  pitch  of  intensity,  to  pathos, 
or  sarcasm,  to  recollection  of  noble  deeds  and  declara 
tions,  to  acts  of  mercy  and  promises  of  achievement 
as  splendid  and  inspiring  as  any.  His  utterances  were 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  320 

polished,  bitter,  and  enthusiastic.  They  stung  with 
their  vindictive  lashing;  they  burned  with  the  ardor 
of  a  cause.  And  Grant !  Grant !  Grant  was  the  name 
which  he  linked  always  with  his  exordiums,  appeals, 
commands.  Elaine  was  the  target  of  his  attacks, 
open  and  covert.  It  was  Grant's  name  with  which 
he  conjured,  but  it  was  the  tide  of  his  own 
eloquence  which  bore  him  along  and  carried  his  lis 
teners  with  him  amid  the  scenes  he  pictured,  into 
fields  of  strenuous  life  and  glorious  deeds,  until 
enthusiasm  burst  all  bonds.  Again  and  again  they 
rose,  and  drowned  his  voice  in  a  roar  of  cries  and 
beating  feet  and  hands,  and  made  him  wait. 

When  he  had  finished, — quivering,  glowing, 
masterful,  his  eagle  eyes  flashing  in  exultation, — the 
thousands  were  on  their  feet,  and  made  the  build 
ing  shake  with  a  storm  of  applause.  A  sea  of  flags, 
handkerchiefs,  fans,  hats  beat  the  air.  To  the  ear 
and  eye  it  seemed  as  if  nowhere  in  all  that  vast  hall 
there  remained  a  tongue  that  was  silent,  an  arm 
that  was  not  upraised  in  celebration  of  the  magnifi 
cence  of  those  utterances. 

But  there  were  such  silent  tongues  and  inert  arms, 
and  they  were  to  be  counted  by  the  hundreds.  The 
anti-Grant  men,  whether  they  were  for  Elaine  or  for 
some  chieftain  unnamed,  for  the  most  part,  sat  grim 
and  unresponsive.  Their  ears  were  not  yet  done  with 
drinking  in  the  oratory  which  had  just  flooded  the 
building,  but  their  hearts  were  sore  because  of  this 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  321 

triumph,  and  their  brains  were  busy  with  plans  to 
counteract  its  effects.  Soon,  all  over  the  floor  where 
the  delegates  sat,  were  men  hurrying  from  seat  to 
seat.  A  score  of  whispered  consultations  betokened 
the  apprehension  created  by  Conkling's  impassioned 
and  insinuating  address. 

Molly  and  Jack  and  the  rest  of  that  little  group 
sat  spell-bound  for  a  moment  after  the  wild  out 
burst  of  cheers  and  wavings  had  exhausted  itself. 
They  understood  only  a  part  of  what  had  been  said, 
but  their  heads  still  rang  and  their  hearts  throbbed 
with  the  melody  of  the  speaker's  voice.  Then  Molly 
turned  to  Dick.  "  Oh,  he  was  magnificent !  "  she 
said.  "  If  he  was  only  on  our  side !  " 

It  was  the  most  flattering  of  concessions,  and 
Dick  replied,  "  He  was  grand !  I  wish  he  was  for 
Elaine,  if  he  wasn't  for  Grant." 

"  I  guess,  Grant  will  win,"  Molly  confided  to 
Jack.  "  He  couldn't  help  it — after  that." 

"  It  looks  as  if  he  must,"  admitted  Jack.  "  Per 
haps,  though,  they  may  forget  Conkling's  speech  by 
the  time  they  vote." 

"  No,  no,  they  can't  forget  it,"  she  returned. 
"  Nobody  possibly  could."  She  turned  to  her  uncle 
who  was  explaining  some  of  the  allusions  Conkling 
had  made. 

Then  another  man  came  forward  to  speak,  and 
they  learned  that  it  was  Garfield.  With  the  picture 
of  Conkling's  gallant  pose  fresh  in  mind,  the  tall, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  322 

strong  figure  and  fine  head  of  this  Ohio  man  were 
unimpressive.  He  had  a  sensible  face;  and  his  large, 
bright  eyes,  prominent  nose  and  full  cheeks,  framed 
in  a  brown  beard,  tinged  with  gray  gave  a  Germanic 
cast  to  his  countenance  which  was  comfortable  and 
resolute,  but  not  inspiring.  And,  when  he  began 
speaking  in  a  clear,  sincere  voice,  he  gained  the  re 
spectful  attention  of  his  audience;  but,  except  among 
those  who  realized  the  adroitness  of  his  utterances 
and  the  sanity  of  his  thought,  and  knew  that  he  stood 
in  a  position  of  vital  import  to  every  delegate  whether 
for  or  against  Grant — except  among  these  he  failed 
to  gain  the  consideration  for  his  address  to  which 
its  strength  and  cogency  and  the  logic  of  the  situa 
tion  entitled  to  it.  Yet  everyone  who  listened  with  an 
ear  sensitive  to  warning  notes  and  with  a  mind  alive 
to  the  uncertainties  of  the  impending  struggle — 
weighed  those  final,  portentous  words  which  fell 
from  his  lips, — as  they  afterward  remembered,  with 
almost  the  magic  of  prophecy. 

"  I  have  seen,"  he  said,  "  the  sea  lashed  in  its  fury 
and  tossed  with  spray,  and  then  rise  to  a  grandeur 
that  moved  the  soul  of  a  man  who  looked  upon  it; 
but,  I  remembered,  that  it  is  the  calm  level  of  the  sea 
from  which  all  heights  and  depths  are  measured. 
When  the  hour  of  calm  settles  on  the  ocean,  when  the 
sunlight  bathes  it,  then  the  astronomer  and  surveyor 
place  the  level  and  measure  all  terrestrial  heights 
and  depths.'  And,  gentlemen  of  this  convention, 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS 

when  the  fervor  of  our  enthusiasm  has  passed,  when 
the  passion  of  the  moment  has  subsided,  it  is  that 
calm  level  of  public  opinion  below  the  enthusiasm, 
below  the  passion,  from  which  the  great  thoughts  of 
a  mighty  people  are  to  be  measured,  and  by  which 
they  are  to  be  judged." 

As  Garfield  ceased  speaking  it  was  as  if  the  great 
concourse  before  him,  for  an  instant,  was  restrained 
by  the  echo  of  his  sober  truths.  There  was  a  pause 
— it  might  have  been  the  calm  he  spoke  of — then 
they  rose,  and  paid  to  him  the  tribute,  deserved  by 
his  thought  and  skill  and  by  the  name  of  Sherman 
whom  he  nominated. 

"  Mr.  Devlin,"  said  Molly  that  evening — Jimmy 
had  come  in  immediately  after  dinner — "  Why  didn't 
you  get  Mr.  Conkling  to  make  your  speech?  " 

"  Th'  speech,  you  mean,  for  Mr.  Elaine?  Well,  do 
you  know,  I  didn't  even  think  of  asking  him.  Gen 
eral  Grant  got  him  first,  anyhow." 

Molly  was  abashed  for  a  moment  by  the  laugh 
which  followed,  but  then  she  went  on,  "  Of  course, 
I  know  that  Mr.  Conkling  wouldn't  have  spoken  for 
anyone  but  Grant.  I  only  meant  that  you  should 
have  had  some  one  make  a  speech  like  his — for  Mr. 
Elaine.  Even  Mr.  Garfield  spoke  better  than  that 
Mr.— Mr. " 

"  Joy?  Yes,  Garfield  did  make  a  good  speech.  Do 
you  know,  I  liked  Garfield's  speech  best  of  all." 

"  Why?  "  asked  Mrs.  Chambers. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  324 

"  Well,  I  can't  say  exactly.  But  it  seemed  to 
strike  just  th'  right  note.  There's — lots  of  reasons 
— why.  But — I  won't  prophesy.  Only  this  Grant 
and  Blaine  fight  is  going  to  be  th'  hottest  yet,  and  th' 

man  who  talks  like  Garfield  does "  He  halted 

suddenly.  "  There's  such  a  thing  as  a  dark  horse," 
he  finished. 

"  You  mean  that  Mr.  Garfield  might  be  nomi 
nated?  "  put  in  Molly.  "  Why,  he  isn't  even " 

"  I  don't  say  anything,"  he  interrupted,  with  the 
air  of  one  who  fears  he  will  say  too  much.  "  It's 
too  early  in  th'  day.  And  don't  say  that  I  mentioned 
Garfield.  It  might  get  me  into  trouble." 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  knock,  and  Jimmy, 
who  was  nearest  to  the  door,  opened  it.  A  waiter 
held  out  a  silver  tray;  on  it  was  a  visiting  card. 
"  Mr.  Doran,"  said  the  waiter. 

Jimmy's  eyes  had  fallen  on  the  card.  He  picked  it 
up,  said  "  All  right,"  to  the  waiter,  closed  the  door 
behind  the  latter,  and  laughed.  "  That  trick  didn't 
work,"  he  said  hastily.  "  I  told  'em  downstairs 
that,  if  anyone  wanted  me,  I  would  be  in  Jack's 
room,  and  to  send  any  message  for  me  to  '  Mr. 
Doran.'  It  was  meant  to  be  a  joke  on  Jack,  but  it's 
turned  out  one  on  me.  Jack's  in  th'  writing  room, 
isn't  he?  Yes?  Well,  excuse  me  a  minute,  please. 
Some  one's  come  to  see  me."  He  opened  the  door, 
and  passed  out. 

But,  almost  on  the  threshold  stood  the  man  who 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  325 

had  sent  up  his  card.  He  had  followed  on  the 
waiter's  heels,  fearing  some  rebuff.  It  was  Marcus 
Doran.  His  face  wore  a  smooth  smile.  "  Just  in 
time  to  have  you  introduce  me  to  your — to  Jack's 
friends,"  he  remarked. 

Jimmy  was  twisting  the  card  in  his  fingers.  Out 
of  the  tail  of  his  eye  he  saw  Mr.  Chambers  and 
Molly  looking  at  them  through  the  open  doorway. 
Marcus  saw  them,  too,  and  took  a  step  forward.  He 
was  bent  on  mischief,  Jimmy  saw  that.  Suddenly 
he  grasped  Marcus's  hand,  and  said  aloud,  "  Glad  to 
see  you!  Come  in,  and  let  me  present  you  to  my 
friends."  In  a  whisper  he  added,  "  Twenty  dollars 
if  you'll  be  Brown  of  my  ward,  and  say  nothing! " 

"  I'll  take  fifty,"  whispered  Marcus  in  return,  and 
stepped  into  the  room. 

"  All  right,"  said  Jimmy  softly,  and  went  on 
aloud,  turning  to  Mr.  Chambers,  "  I  want  to  make 
you  known  to  Mr.  George  Brown,  one  of  my  delega 
tion.  He's  just  brought  me  a  message,  and  has  got 
to  go  on  at  once. 

Marcus  played  his  part  well.  He  bowed,  and  said 
something  to  Mr.  Chambers.  He  ran  his  eye  around 
the  room.  His  glance  rested  for  an  instant  on  Molly. 
A  shade  of  disappointment  betrayed  that  he  had 
expected  to  come  face  to  face  with  Jack.  Then 
Jimmy  said,  "  Well,  Brown,  I  guess  you'll  have  to 
hustle  right  off.  I'll  go  down  to  the  door  with  you," 
and  Marcus  knew  this  was  the  signal  to  go,  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  326 

made  his  exit  a  little  reluctantly.  Jimmy  followed 
him. 

When  the  door  had  closed  behind  them  Jimmy 
pulled  out  a  roll  of  bills.  He  gave  Marcus  two 
twenty  dollar  notes  an  a  ten.  "  Now,"  he  said, 
"  Go !  And,  if  you  let  it  out  that  you're  Jack's  father, 
or  try  to  meet  those  people — something  'II  happen. 
There's  a  crowd  of  toughs  in  this  town ;  lots  of  acci 
dents  could  happen  to  you  for  less  than  you've  just 
got  from  me." 

Marcus  scowled  and  contrived  a  laugh.  But  it 
had  an  empty  sound.  To  be  sure  he  had  fifty 
dollars  in  his  hand,  but  he  also  had  a  realizing  sense 
of  what  was  meant  by  the  expression  on  the  other's 
face.  Jimmy  was  in  a  corner,  and  Marcus  knew 
that  Jimmy  in  a  corner  was  not  to  be  defied.  He 
went  out  of  the  hotel,  Jimmy  returned  to  the 
room. 

A  few  minutes  later  Jack  entered,  and  Molly  told 
him  of  the  man  they  had  just  met.  "  I  didn't  much 
like  his  looks,"  she  said  in  a  whisper,  "  And  it  was 
so  funny  for  Mr.  Devlin  to  bring  him  in  and  intro 
duce  him  in  that  way."  She  described  the  visitor, 
asking  him  if  he  had  ever  seen  him. 

The  color  left  Jack's  cheeks,  and  he  stammered, 
"  I'm  not  sure,  but  I  guess," — Suddenly,  an  impulse, 
born  of  shame  of  his  own  weakness,  made  him  lift 
his  head,  and  begin,  in  a  louder  voice,  "  Yes,  I  know 
him.  He  is " 


/.  DEVLIN— BOSS  327 

Jimmy's  voice  broke  in.  "  Of  course,  you  know 
him,  Jack.  You've  seen  him  often  enough.  It  was 
George  Brown — of  my  ward."  His  eyes  were  fixed 
on  Jack.  They  forbade  him  to  speak.  The  latter's 
confusion  returned  to  him.  He  hesitated,  and  the 
moment  for  speaking  was  gone.  Jimmy  said  over 
his  shoulder,  "  Jack,  go  up  to  your  room,  and  get 
that  letter  I  wanted  to  see." 

"  Jack  doesn't  approve  of  some  of  my  acquaint 
ances,"  he  explained  when  the  former  had  left  the 
room.  "  You  noticed  how  mixed  up  he  was  just 
now?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Molly  slowly.  "I  didn't  care 
much  for  that  Mr.  Brown  myself :  but  I  don't  think 
he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  your  friends.  A  politician 
has  to  know  all  sorts  of  people." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jimmy;  "and  some  of  them  aren't 
what  he'd  choose.  But  he  doesn't  like  to  offend  them. 
You  understand.  So,  please  don't  say  anything  to 
Jack  about  that  man  Brown.  It'd  only  work  him 
up." 

"  No,  I  won't,"  she  answered.  But  she  did  not 
appear  to  be  entirely  satisfied,  and,  for  the  first  and 
only  time,  Jimmy  anathematized  those  bright,  blue 
eyes. 

When  the  fifth  day  of  the  Convention  opened  it 
was  freely  predicted  by  those  who  should  have 
known  that  Grant  would  be  nominated  before  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  328 

dozen  ballots  were  taken.  It  was  argued  that  the 
large,  steady  vote  which  "  The  Strong  Man  "  was 
known  to  have  pledged  to  his  cause  would  resist  all 
attacks  and  would  be  untouched  by  the  desertions 
which  would  weaken  the  ranks  of  the  opposition  as  a 
result  of  a  failure  to  nominate  a  man  at  an  early 
hour.  The  opposition  to  Grant  was  divided,  and, 
in  every  case  but  one,  supported  men  whose  chance 
of  being  nominated  was  apparently  too  slight  to 
sustain  long  the  hopes  of  followers. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Elaine  people  argued  that 
their  allegiance  was  fully  as  determined  as  that  of 
the  partisans  of  Grant;  and  that,  besides,  there 
was  a  personal  antipathy  to  Grant,  which, 
coupled  with  the  prejudice  against  a  third  term, 
would  effectually  prevent  any  alliance  of  the  smaller 
factions  with  the  General's  advocates.  Aged  Hanni 
bal  Hamlin  was  quoted  as  saying,  "  Grant's  follow 
ers  are  boastful;  I  believe  we  hold  the  cards/' 

So  it  happened  that,  when  Mr.  Chambers  and  his 
party  left  the  Convention  on  June  sixth,  twenty- 
eight  ballots  had  been  taken  for  a  Presidential  nomi 
nee;  and  the  Grant  and  Elaine  forces  still  locked 
horns.  The  final  ballot  was  307  for  Grant;  279  for 
Elaine.  The  other  candidates  had  had  but  slight 
support ;  Garfield  bringing  up  the  rear  with  a  compli 
mentary  vote  or  two. 

Molly  chaffed  Jimmy  when  they  saw  him  for  a 
minute  after  the  Convention  adjourned  for  the  day. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  329 

"  Poor  Mr.  Garfield  !  "  she  said.  "  He  only  had  two 
friends." 

Jimmy  wagged  his  head.  "  It  doesn't  look  like 
Garfield  now,"  he  admitted.  "  But  it  doesn't  look 
like  Elaine  either,"  he  added  with  mock  melancholy. 

"  They  certainly  haven't  made  much  progress," 
remarked  Mr.  Chambers. 

"  '  More  haste,  less  speed/  "  quoted  Jimmy,  and 
went  on,  "  But  a  night  of  thinking  often  works 
wonders.  It  will  be  somebody  to-morrow — I  feel  it 
in  my  bones.  We  mean  that  it  shall  be  Elaine." 

"And,  if  not  him,  then— Mr.  Garfield?"  inter 
rogated  Molly. 

"  Garfield — or  somebody  else,"  said  Jimmy, 
slipping  out  of  the  trap  without  appearing  to  notice 
it.  He  winked  with  the  air  of  imparting  a  tremen 
dous  secret. 

That  night  Jimmy  was  one  of  those  at  a  small 
meeting  of  the  Elaine  leaders  in  a  hotel  room.  At 
this  meeting  many  possibilities  were  discussed.  The 
Massachusetts  delegation  was  said  to  be  ready  to 
make  a  bolt,  if  any  likely  third  candidate  should 
come  out  of  obscurity.  Two  other  delegations,  it 
was  rumored,  were  of  similar  inclinations.  The 
Elaine  leaders  decided  to  hold  to  their  candidate ;  but 
in  extremity,  to  take  advantage  of  any  chance  which 
should  arise  to  head  off  Grant,  even  if  they  were 
forced  to  abandon  their  own  man  in  so  doing. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  330 

Six  ballots  had  been  taken  on  the  next  day  when 
this  chance  came.  On  the  horizon  suddenly  loomed 
a  third  figure  beside  the  figures  of  Grant  and  Elaine 
— a  figure  that  waxed  from  a  mere  pigmy  to  a  man, 
and  then  to  a  giant  whose  bulk  made  the  Grant  and 
Elaine  ranks  tremble — a  figure  that  rushed  to  the 
fore  with  great  strides  and,  finally,  made  a  panic  of 
what  had  been  a  stubborn,  almost  monotonous  fight. 
This  figure  sprang  from  that  level  of  calm  thought 
to  which  a  certain  orator  had  referred,  three  days  be 
fore.  It  was  the  figure  of  the  orator  himself— James 
Abram  Garfield. 

On  the  thirty-fourth  ballot  Wisconsin  gave  to 
Garfield  sixteen  votes,  and  there  was  a  breathless 
pause.  But  there  the  change  ended  for  that  ballot; 
and  men's  hearts  beat  regularly  once  more.  It  was 
not  until  the  thirty-sixth  ballot  that  the  landslide 
fairly  started.  On  that  ballot  Alabama,  Arkansas, 
Colorado  and  California  had  voted,  and  it  was  Con 
necticut's  turn.  Then  came  the  announcement, 

"Eleven  for  Garfield!" 

A  tremor  ran  through  the  rows  of  seated  delegates 
and  stirred  the  thousands  of  spectators.  The  hall 
was  hushed ;  men  caught  their  breath,  and  watched ; 
fluttering  fans  came  to  an  abrupt  pause.  Men  who 
were  walking  froze  in  their  tracks.  The  break  had 
started — the  race  was  on  between  the  Ohioan  and  his 
two  great  rivals. 

Indiana's  chairman  arose,  and  declared, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  331 

"Ten  for  Garfield  !  " 

Instantly  the  hush  was  broken.  Ten  thousand  men 
and  women  were  on  their  feet,  many  of  them  know 
ing  not  why.  The  roar  of  voices  beat  on  the  roof 
and  sides  of  the  building,  and  was  flung  back  again 
upon  its  sponsors  to  deafen  them  and  be  sent  forth 
redoubled  in  volume  and  frenzy.  Then  came  a  lull 
to  hear  Iowa's  vote.  And  when  the  chairman's  voice 
rang  out,  "  Iowa  twenty-two  for  Garfield !  "  again 
and  mightier,  reverberated  the  bellowing  chorus  of 
shouts  and  whistles  and  stamping  feet  and  smitten 
hands. 

But  it  was  not  all  noisy  demonstration.  Down 
among  the  delegates  Jimmy  had  sprung  to  his  feet, 
and  was  bending  over  the  Chairman  of  the  Maine 
delegation.  "  Now's  th'  time  to  defeat  Grant !  "  he 
cried  in  the  other's  ear.  "  Are  you  with  us?  " 

There  was  a  hurried  consultation  of  the  Maine 
delegates,  and  Jimmy  ran  back  to  his  seat.  As  he 
reached  it  a  tall  man  pressed  to  his  side.  He  was 
a  New  Yorker ;  he  asked  Jimmy  a  question.  "  We 
are  twenty-one  strong  for  Garfield.  You  had  better 
fall  in  line,"  was  Jimmy's  quick  reply.  The  New 
Yorker  nodded,  and  sped  back  to  his  delegation. 

Then  fell  another  silence  on  the  audience  to  hear 
the  votes  proclaimed;  and,  in  swift  succession, 
Maine,  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania 
declared  for  Garfield,  in  part  or  whole,  after  each 
announcement  bursting  forth  anew  the  united  yells 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  332 

of  those  thousands,  now  almost  crazed  by  the  growth 
of  this  great  movement. 

Banners  from  all  sides  flung  a  canopy  over  the 
sober,  bearded  man  who,  while  every  echo  caught  up 
his  name,  sat  as  one  among  his  fellow  men,  appar 
ently  unmoved  except  for  the  flashing  of  his  wide- 
open  eyes  and  the  tremor  of  the  hands  which  rested 
on  his  knees.  Then,  full  and  strong  rose  the  old 
Grant  song  "We'll  rally  round  the  Flag,  Boys"; 
and,  hardly  had  its  last  notes  died,  when,  from  where 
the  band  was  stationed,  clashed  from  brass  and  drum 
the  strains  of  "  See,  the  Conquering  Hero  Comes ! " 

For  twenty  minutes  drum  and  brass  strove  to 
make  themselves  heard  above  the  storms  of  applause. 
Men  yelled  and  stamped;  women  clapped  and 
laughed,  and  some  wept.  Everywhere  above  the 
heads  of  the  delegates  tossed  banners  and  waving 
arms  and  high-flung  hats.  When  it  was  all  over,  be 
sieged  by  scores  of  hands  that  would  grasp  his,  or,  at 
least,  touch  his  coat,  James  A.  Garfield  stood  up — 
the  nominee  of  his  party  for  President  by  399  votes 
of  the  755  cast.  Grant's  faithful  306  stood  by  him  to 
the  last — the  remaining  honor  to  the  vanquished. 

As  Mr.  Chambers's  party  made  their  way  slowly 
out  of  the  struggling  crowd  of  spectators  Jack  re 
marked,  "  Jimmy  as  much  as  told  us  that  Garfield 
would  be  nominated." 

"  Yes,"  returned  Molly.  "  He  must  have  known 
that  Blaine  would  be  defeated.  He  said  what  he  did, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  333 

I  suppose,  just  to  make  it  seem  that  he  wasn't  disap 
pointed.    Poor  Jimmy!" 

But  Jimmy  did  not  look  disconsolate  when,  at  five 
o'clock  that  afternoon,  he  got  on  a  car  with  his  dele 
gation  to  start  homeward.  Elaine  had  lost,  to  be 
sure;  but  Grant  had  been  defeated,  too.  And,  what 
was  more  than  all  else  to  Jimmy,  he  had  asserted  his 
domination.  Corson  and-  Mabie  had  failed  to  crush 
him.  What  share  his  State  had  had  in  Garfield's 
victory  belonged  in  fact  to  "  J.  Devlin — Boss." 

"  Curse  him ! "  snapped  Senator  Corson  that 
night.  "  If  it  hadn't  been  for  Devlin,  I  believe,  we'd 
have  put  through  Grant  at  the  start.  We'll  have  to 
swallow  him  for  a  while — as  long  as  he's  on  top. 
But  when  I  get  the  chance  to  pay  him  for  this — I'll 
make  him  remember  my  name  and  this  day." 


BOOK 

•THREE* 


CHAPTER  XVII  337 

*CT'M  going  into  politics!"  Marcus  Doran  had 
H  laid  his  hat  on  Jimmy's  desk  in  "  Back," 
and  drawn  up  a  chair. 

Jimmy  sat  behind  the  desk,  a  dash  more  of  gray  at 
the  temples,  a  few  more  lines  in  the  net-work  at  the 
corners  of  his  eyes,  a  trifle  more  stocky  of  body, 
otherwise,  the  soberly-garbed,  clean-shaven,  alert 
Jimmy  who,  two  years  before,  had  helped  to 
defeat  Grant  for  the  Presidential  nomination.  He 
gave  a  start  at  Marcus's  statement,  shot  a  look  into 
the  latter's  face,  and  comprehended  enough  to  pre 
pare  him  for  a  bigger  demand  than  any  yet.  But 
he  made  no  reply,  merely  closing  his  hands  under  the 
edge  of  the  desk. 

"  I'm  going  into  politics !  "  again  said  Marcus. 

"Yes,  what  is  it?"  demanded  Jimmy. 

"  Councilman !  " 

For  an  instant  Jimmy  was  sure  that  he  could  not 
have  heard  aright.  Then  he  laughed ;  the  humor  of 
the  proposition  was  irresistible. 

"  Laugh  if  you've  a  mind  to,"  remarked  Marcus 
testily.  "  When  you  get  over  your  fit  I'll  go  on. 
I'm  glad  you  think  it's  funny.  I  was  afraid  you 
might  take  it  hard,"  he  added  sarcastically. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  338 

Jimmy  was  sobered,  not  by  Marcus's  words,  but 
by  a  sense  of  his  own  impotence.  He  leaned  for 
ward.  "  Whatever  I  think,"  he  said;  "You're  a 
fool  to  come  to  me  with  such  an  idea.  That's  all 
there  is  to  it." 

"  Not  by  a  long  shot.  It's  only  th'  beginning. 
I'm  going  into  Councils,  and  you're  going  to  put  me 
there." 

"  Am  I  ?  "  said  Jimmy  doggedly. 

"  Yes,  you  are,  aren't  you  ?  Tell  me,  if  you  ain't. 
For,  then,  I'll  have  something  else  to  attend  to;  and 
quick." 

For  a  minute  the  two  men  looked  at  each  other 
in  silence.  Marcus  was  enjoying  what  he  knew  was 
passing  in  Jimmy's  head,  for  all  of  those  unwinking, 
blue  eyes. 

Jimmy  was  going  over  the  old  struggle  with  him 
self ;  at  first  trying  not  to  listen  to  his  heart's  voice, 
then  listening  to  nothing  else.  He  had  ceased  to 
speculate  upon  the  audacity  and  relentlessness  of  the 
man  in  front  of  him.  He  was  almost  appalled  by  his 
own  helplessness.  Yet  his  mind  was  busy,  all  the 
while,  trying  to  discover  a  way  to  escape.  He  fore 
saw  in  this  what  would  be  worse  than  a  humiliation. 
Here,  instinct  told  him,  was  something  that  menaced 
his  welfare.  ^ 

"  Marcus  Doran,"  he  said ;  "  what  you  ask  for  I 
can't  give.  There  is  but  one  place  to  be  filled  at  this 
election  by  a  new  man — Murray's." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  339 

"  That's  th'  place  I  want.  Murray  told  me  he  was 
going  to  retire — he  comes  from  my  ward." 

Jimmy  saw  things  more  definitely  now.  "  He 
put  you  up  to  this/'  he  declared.  "  I  understand. 
But  he  didn't  tell  you  that  he  had  to  retire,  did  he? 
He  didn't  tell  you  that  he  made  his  place  too  hot  to 
hold  him — that  th'  Citizens  League  and  every  inde 
pendent  voter  demands  a  man  for  his  seat  in  Councils 
who  will  have  clean  hands?  " 

"  No,  but  I  don't  need  to  know  that.  What  I 
want  is  th'  nomination  for  th'  place." 

"  Which  I  can't  give  you.  I  will  tell  you  this — it 
may  convince  you :  I've  promised  Gans  of  th'  League 
not  to  put  up  a  man  like  Murray  for  that  place.  And 
you  know,  I  keep  my  word." 

"  That  was  before  you  had  promised  to  give  me  th' 
place,"  said  Marcus  evenly. 

"  But  I  haven't  promised  you." 

"  It's  th'  same  thing.  You  made  up  your  mind 
to  give  me  whatever  I  asked  for — long  ago.  Any 
way,  you'd  rather  have  that  gang  of  reformers  down 
on  you  than  me ;  now,  wouldn't  you?  " 

Jimmy's  eyes  dilated,  then  the  pupils  became  mere 
points.  But  he  said  quietly,  "  I  couldn't  elect  you,  if 
you  were  nominated." 

"  You  can  now/'  with  a  pretence  of  reasoning 
which  was  like  the  play  of  the  cat  with  the  mouse. 
"  Two  years  ago,  with  Walsh  and  Showell  against 
you,  you'd  have  had  some  trouble.  But  you  shook 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  340 

hands  with  them  six  months  ago.  It's  th'  Three 
Czars  again — which  is  lucky  for  me.  All  you  have 
to  do  is  to  say  th'  word  and  stick  to  it.  Th'  reformers 
can  raise  a  row  and  make  you  hustle;  but  your  man 
— that's  me,  you  know — will  go  into  Councils,  just 
th'  same." 

It  was  the  situation  on  its  face.  Jimmy  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  and  thought.  He  had  felt  almost 
sure  at  the  start  that  it  was  a  waste  of  time  to  ex 
plain  difficulties.  Marcus  did  not  know  that  there 
were  influences  at  work  which  threatened  the  domi 
nation  of  the  Three  Czars;  he  would  not  care,  if 
he  was  told.  It  was  nothing  to  him  that  the  reform 
movement  was  slowly  but  surely  making  headway, 
and  that  Jimmy's  concession  in  the  matter  of  a  candi 
date  for  Con  Murray's  seat  in  City  Councils  was  only 
one  of  several  compromises  which  he  was  making  or 
about  to  make  with  the  aim  of  silencing  public 
clamor  against  his  dictation.  It  would  not  dissuade 
him  to  learn  that  Jimmy's  political  safety  de 
pended  on  appeasing  the  reformers  and  dividing 
their  leaders  while  they  were  yet  without  a  thorough 
organization  and  a  popular  battle-cry.  These  would 
be  but  abstractions  to  this  man  whose  slouching 
figure,  shifty  eyes,  puffy  lids,  fleshy  nose  and  loose 
lips  told  of  a  life  as  gross  as  it  was  selfish.  The 
single  fact  which  had  weight  with  him  was:  He 
wanted  Murray's  place  which  Jimmy  could  give  to 
him. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  341 

Through  Jimmy's  brain  flashed  in  quick  suc 
cession  the  probable  consequences  of  compliance 
with  this  demand.  Marcus  and  Murray  hand-in 
g-love,  the  first  more  knave  than  the  other,  less  om 
nivorous  in  his  appetite,  but  likely,  under  the  circum 
stances,  to  be  more  unscrupulous  and  more  danger 
ous.  Gans  and  his  people  angered  by  this  new  out 
rage  to  a  pitch  compared  to  which  their  indignation 
of  the  present  was  something  to  be  laughed  at.  Mar 
cus,  secure  in  his  position  because  his  sponsor  was 
helpless.  The  outlook  fairly  made  him  gasp.  "  You 
fool !  "  he  cried,  unable  to  repress  his  rage. 

Marcus  passed  over  the  epithet.  "  Am  I  to  have 
th'  place  ? "  he  returned  steadily.  He  began  to 
whistle. 

In  an  outburst  of  anger  Jimmy  struck  the  desk 
violently.  "  I'll  see  you  damned  first !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Then  that's  got  to  happen  between  now  and  next 
November,"  returned  Marcus.  "  For  I'll  have  Mur 
ray's  seat  or  none.  And,  now  that  I  think  of  it,  ten 
thousand  a  year,  until  I  say  I've  had  enough  is  my 
price  to  withdraw  as  a  candidate." 

Jimmy  had  regained  command  of  himself.  His 
eyes  narrowed.  If  Marcus  had  been  any  less 
secure  in  his  position  he  would  have  quailed  be 
neath  the  cold  fire  that  shone  from  beneath  those 
lowered  lids.  As  it  was  he  began  to  inspect  his 
finger  nails  with  an  appearance  of  unconcern. 

Jimmy  watched  him;  and,  when  he  spoke,  it  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  342 

with  a  knowledge  that  he  must  surrender.  To  begin 
to  bribe  him  with  money  was  to  open  the  door  to 
endless  and  ever-increasing  calls  from  which  no 
plan  or  accident  but  death,  could  relieve  him,  Mur 
ray's  seat  in  Councils  was  the  alternative.  Bad  as 
this  alternative  was,  it  seemed  the  choice  of  evils. 
Something  might  happen  to  restrain  or  cripple  Mar 
cus  as  a  Council maa, 

u  If  this  place  was  yours,  what  would  you  do  in 
it?"  he  asked. 

Marcus  laughed,  "  What  do  you  think?  "  he  re- 
turnedo  "  See  that  I  got  all  that  was  coming  to 
me,  and — yes — and  come  and  get  orders,  like  th' 
rest,  from  my  boss."  Alluding  to  Jimmy  as  his 
"  boss  "  tickled  Marcus.  He  laughed  again. 

But  Jimmy's  face  was  stolid,  "  Then  you  may  as 
well  know  now  that  there'll  be  th'  biggest  fight  yet 
if  your  name's  put  up/'  he  said,  "  I  can  have  you 
nominated — perhaps;  that's  all  Cans  and  th'  Citi 
zens'  League  '11  never  rest  till  they  down  you.  You 
want  to  succeed  a  man  who  made  his  place  too  hot  to 
hold  him — a  man  worth  a  dozen  like  you.  And  th' 
people  that's  against  him,  if  they  don't  know  it 
already,  '11  soon  find  that  out.  They'll  be  against 
you ;  can't  you  see  that  ?  " 

"  My  election  ain't  worrying  me"  replied  Marcus, 
"  I'll  leave  everything  to  you,  I  know  you'd  hate  to 
see  me — disappointed  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  343 

Jimmy  leaned  back,  and  fixed  the  other  with  his 
gaze,  "  Marcus  Doran,"  he  said  in  a  level  voice, 
"  You're  a  dirty  coward — as  low  a  hound  as  I 
guess  there'll  ever  be.  Some  day  I'll  get  th'  chance 
to  treat  you  like  th'  cur  you  are.  When  I  do — as 
there's  a  God  above  me !  I'll  make  you  wish  hell  had 
opened  up'  for  you  before  you  ever  met  me.  Now, 
get  out  of  here!  Get  out  before  I  forget  something 
and  close  my  fingers  on  your  throat!  I'll  give  you 
th'  answer  you  want  at  th'  end  of  th'  week.  And 
you — if  you  care  to  have  that  place,  keep  your  mouth 
shut— tight  I  " 

Marcus's  sallow  face  was  triumphant,  "  I  knew 
you'd  do  what  I  asked,"  he  remarked, 

On  Tuesday  afternoon,  of  the  week  following 
he  got  his  answer  from  Jimmy,  Jimmy  promised 
him  the  nomination,  and  added  that  he  would  be 
defeated  at  the  polls.  But  Marcus  was  little  troubled 
by  the  prophecy.  It  was  an  empty  threat,  he  said  to 
himselfo  The  nomination  would  never  have  been 
promised  if  Jimmy  had  not  arranged  that  he  should 
be  elected, 

Nor  did  any  one  know  this  better  than  Jimmy. 
For  six  days  he  had  plotted  and  devised  expedients 
only  to  cast  them  aside ;  for  six  nights  he  had  given 
his  brain  no  rest  but  that  which  exhaustion  com 
pelled.  There  was  no  subterfuge,  no  bait,  no  threat 
which  his  fertile  brain  suggested  that  his  knowledge 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  344 

of  Marcus's  character  and  his  understanding  of  his 
own  position  did  not  make  him  discard  as  worse  than 
useless.  So  he  surrendered. 

Marcus  went  from  his  presence  the  words  still 
ringing  in  his  ears,  "  Keep  your  mouth  shut 
about  this  or  you'll  be  done  for !  "  And  the  first 
thing  he  did,  thereafter,  was  to  hunt  up  Con 
Murray,  and  tell  him  of  the  result  of  his  demand; 
and  the  second  thing  he  did  was  to  get  very  drunk. 

Could  Jimmy  have  foreseen  the  fruit  of  this  last 
folly  it  is  certain  that  Marcus  would  have  spent  the 
twenty-four  hours  immediately  succeeding  in  a  cell 
at  the  nearest  station  house*  If  Marcus  had  been 
less  intoxicated  by  his  latest  success,  it  is  likely  that 
his  other  intoxication  would  have  been  less  disas 
trous.  As  the  thing  fell  out,  swaggering  along  the 
street  that  evening,  he  encountered  Cans  whom  he 
knew  by  sight  and  reputation,  and  was  seized  with 
a  fit  of  drunken  braggadocio.  He  stepped  in  front  of 
Cans,  and  laid  a  hand  on  the  latter's  arm. 

"  Misher  Cans !  Misher  Cans !  "  he  said;  "  Misher 
Cans,  you're  very  slily.  But  I'm  shly,  too ;  and  I'm 
goin'  t'  be  a  Counshilman,  Me  an'  Murray  fixshed  't 
all  up,  and  Jimmy  shays  ish  all  right  But  don't  tell 
anybody.  Don't  tell  anybody/' 

Cans  threw  off  the  hand  that  detained  him,  and 
regarded  Marcus  with  mixed  disgust  and  incredu 
lity.  Marcus  stood  wagging  his  head,  and  repeating, 
"  But  don't  tell  anybody,  Ish  a  secret,  a  secret." 


J.  DEVLIN—BOSS  345 

Then  Cans  turned  and  walked  on.  But  Marcus's 
words  continued  to  sound  in  his  ears ;  and,  the  longer 
he  thought  on  them,  the  more  persistent  became  the 
suspicion  that  they  were  not  mere  drunken  babble. 
The  next  morning  he  called  on  Jimmy  with  a  ques 
tion;  and  what  followed  was  said  in  few  words,  but 
those  words  very  much  to  the  point 

That  evening  there  was  a  hurriedly  called  meeting 
of  the  Citizens'  League,  and  the  next  afternoon  an 
interview  in  the  open  air.  This  took  place  on  the 
steps  of  the  Colonial  Club,  the  best  known  of  the 
semi-political  clubs;  and  was,  so  some  public  com 
mentators  assert,  the  immediate  cause  of  an  upheaval 
which  changed  the  entire  political  aspect  of  a  muni 
cipality. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Jimmy  in  that  interview  forgot 
his  caution  and  acted  on  impulse ;  and  the  effect  was 
remarkable. 

He  was  mounting  the  steps  of  the  club  when  he 
heard  his  name  spoken,  and  turned,  A  foot  below 
him  a  man  had  halted.  He  was  of  slender  build, 
with  a  vivid  complexion  and  wore  an  imperial  and 
had  snapping  eyes.  Jimmy  recognized  him  at  once 
for  Thomas  Claghorn,  a  wealthy  lawyer  and  an 
officer  of  the  Citizens'  League, —  a  man  with  a  repu 
tation  for  fearlessness  and  a  biting  tongue. 

Jimmy  asked  Claghorn  if  he  had  called  him» 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  answered  Claghorn ;  and,  looking 
Jimmy  straight  in  the  face,  went  on  slowly  and  dis- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  346 

tinctly,  "  James  Devlin,  I've  heard  that  your  word 
was  as  good  as  your  bond;  and,  until  I  gave  that 
Statement  a  trial,  I  was  ready  to  believe  that  it  might 
be  so."  He  paused  as  if  to  let  the  words  sink  in. 

Jimmy  was  standing  at  ease,  his  arms  hanging 
loosely  at  his  sides,  a  smile  on  his  lips.  He  expected 
a  caustic  comment;  but  Claghorn's  introductory  re 
mark  was  a  little  too  sharp;  and  his  smile  hard 
ened.  Half  a  dozen  men  had  come  up,  seeing  that 
something  unpleasant  was  on. 

"  I  said  I  believed  that  you  spoke  the  truth  until  I 
put  your  word  to  the  test,"  repeated  Claghorn  in  a 
clear  voice.  "  But  we've  tried  you  on  this  business 
of  a  Councilman;  and  now  I  want  to  tell  you  that 
the  story  of  your  truthfulness  came  from  those  who 
were  afraid  of  you, — and  I'm  not  one  of  them. 
James  Devlin,  you're  a  liar !  " 

Jimmy's  figure  became  tense,  his  head  went  back 
with  a  jerk.  It  was  as  if  he  had  got  a  blow  in  the 
face.  The  next  instant  he  leaned  forward,  and 
struck  Claghorn  across  the  mouth. 

The  blow  knocked  him  down,  and  Jimmy  looked 
at  him  a  moment,  then  turned,  and  walked  slowly 
down  the  steps  and  up  the  street  without  a  backward 
glance. 

Claghorn  was  helped  to  his  feet,  white  and  almost 
speechless  with  rage.  He  passed  quickly  into  the 
Club ;  and  there,  the  incident  itself  was  closed. 

But  the  blow  was    like  a    spark  to    dry    prairie 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  347 

grass.  In  twenty-four  hours  the  tale  of  it  was  in 
everyone's  mouth.  The  city  rang  with  exaggerations 
of  the  encounter.  Wavering  allegiance  to  Jimmy, 
in  many  cases  was  changed  to  opposition ;  opposition 
to  enmity ;  enmity  to  an  open  declaration  of  war.  It 
was  as  if  every  political  reformer  had  been  struck 
in  the  face.  The  reform  organizations  were  stiffened 
asnd  galvanized  into  an  activity  such  as  never  before 
had  been  known.  And  the  supreme  manifestation  of 
this  was  the  birth  of  the  famous  "  Committee  of 
Fifty." 


CHAPTER  XVIII  348 

THE  encounter  on  the  steps  of  the  Colonial 
Club  was  fully  described  in  the  newspapers. 
Jack,  on  his  way  down  town  in  the  street 
car  the  next  morning,  came  upon  this  heading  on 
the  first  page  of  his  paper: 

CALLED   DEVLIN  A    LIAR!! 

Lawyer  Thomas    Claghorn    Knocked 

Down    by   J.   Devlin— Boss  on  the 

Steps  of  the  Colonial  Club  !  ! 

FIGHT  OVER  COUNCILMANIC  CANDIDATE!! 

The  "Three  Czars  "  Go  Back  on  Their  Promise 

to  the  Citizens'  League  and  Prepare  to  Put 

Another  Rascal  in  Con  Murray's  Place  1 1 

MARCUS    DORAN    IS    HIS    NAME!! 

The  paper  shook  in  Jack's  hands.  He  first 
thought  that  this  was  a  political  canard.  The  idea 
of  Jimmy  striking  anyone  in  itself  was  almost  in 
credible.  That  his  father  was  a  candidate  for  City 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  349 

Councils  astounded  him.  But  the  miserable  truth 
was  patent  when  he  had  read  the  column  of  descrip 
tion  and  interviews.  Jimmy  had  refused  to  be  in 
terviewed.  Claghorn  had  made  a  brief  statement. 
The  story  showed  conclusively  that  the  lie  had  been 
given  and  the  blow  struck  solely  because  Jimmy  had 
changed  his  mind  and  decided  to  give  a  seat  in 
Councils  to — Jack  repeated  to  himself,  "  to  my 
father." 

All  that  day  he  asked  himself  questions  which  he 
could  not  answer.  Why  had  Jimmy  taken  up  his 
father  as  a  candidate?  They  were  not  friends; 
Jimmy  could  gain  nothing  by  it.  It  had  aroused 
tremendous  opposition.  It  had  brought  shame  on 
his  mother  and  himself.  If  he  had  trusted  Jimmy 
less  he  would  have  felt  bitterly  toward  him.  He 
would  have  asked  him  for  facts,  but  Jimmy  was 
grimly  silent  and  made  no  allusion  to  the  subject. 

Neither  did  Jack  speak  to  his  mother  of  what  he 
had  read.  At  the  supper-table  they  both  talked 
rapidly.  He  noticed  her  regarding  him  with  wor 
ried,  weary  eyes.  Instinctively  he  knew  her  wish. 
As  time  passed  and  she  made  no  reference  to  what 
she  must  have  read,  as  he  did,  almost  daily,  an 
understanding  grew  up  between  them.  Each  felt 
the  other's  sympathy  though  no  word  was  ex 
changed. 

But  Jack  did  a  great  deal  of  thinking.  Scarcely 
a  day  went  by  that  his  father  was  not  pilloried  as  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  350 

man  without  principle  and  of  dissolute  habits.  They 
raked  up  facts  of  which  Jack  had  never  heard,  though 
he  could  not  make  himself  disbelieve  them.  Jimmy 
was  called  a  sponsor  of  rogues.  The  attacks  were 
confined  to  three  papers,  but  they  were  vehement 
and  persistent.  Again  and  again,  he  overheard  re 
marks  in  the  street  cars,  on  corners  and  at  the  Bank 
which  voiced  the  public  indignation.  His  father  was 
held  up  to  contempt  and  censure  by  those  whom  the 
community  esteemed  most. 

It  did  not  surprise  him,  for  he  had  no  reason  to 
regard  his  father  in  a  more  favorable  light.  Nor 
did  he  believe  that  it  caused  his  mother  anything 
but  shame  for  the  name  she  bore,  a  shame  in  which 
he  shared.  His  father,  all  at  once,  became  to  him  an 
inevitable,  miserable  fact.  His  brooding  made  him 
draw  more  and  more  within  himself. 

But  what  preyed  on  him  most  was  the  question, 
What  would  Molly  think?  Could  she  forget  whose 
son  he  was?  Would  she  be  allowed  to  forget  it  if 
she  wished  to  ?  Was  this  to  be  the  end  of  the  friend 
ship  which  meant  so  much  to  him?  His  only  con 
solation  was  that  she  was  away  from  home.  Per 
haps,  something  would  happen  before  she  returned 
to  lighten  his  shame,  or  make  it  forgotten.  But  noth 
ing  did  happen  and  one  bright,  hot  day  in  June  he 
got  a  note  in  the  early  mail  which  brought  him  at 
once  face  to  face  with  his  happiness  and  his  cruel 
doubts.  The  note  was  as  follows: 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  351 

"  DEAR  JACK  : 

"  We  got  home  to-day.  I  am  aching  to  tell  you 
all  about  our  trip  and  other  things.  I  want  to  ask 
you  a  lot  of  questions.  I  hear  that  you  now  wear  a 
beard  and  eye-glasses — no,  spectacles.  And  lean  on 
a  cane?  I  must  see  for  myself.  I  have  been  all 
round  the  world  since  I  saw  you  last — two  years 
ago — My,  what  a  long  time! — but  I  haven't  seen 
anyone  who  is  such  fun  to  tease — as  you.  Come  up 
to-morrow  afternoon  at  half-past  four.  The  house 
is  open  for  a  few  days.  Then  we  go  to  the  sea 
shore  for  the  rest  of  the  summer.  Give  my  love  to 
Jimmy.  Yours, 

"  MOLLY  STRUTHERS/' 

Jack  read  and  reread  that  note  until  he  could  have 
repeated  it  backward  from  memory.  Then  his  own 
position  flashed  upon  him;  and  almost  straightway, 
a  strange  thing  happened.  He  ceased  to  torment 
himself  with  questions,  and  made  up  his  mind  to 
have  the  uncertainty  over  with  at  once.  He  would 
tell  her  everything;  he  would  tell  her  all  that  had 
occurred  to  him  while  she  was  away;  ne  would  tell 
her  the  truth  about  that  meeting  with  his  father  in 
the  Chicago  hotel.  Then  he  would  know  what  to 
do.  There  was  never  less  of  his  father  in  him, 
never  more  of  his  mother,  than  at  this  moment.  For 
the  rest  of  the  working  day  he  went  about  his  duties 
with  fresh  strength.  If  Molly  was  dearer  to  him 
than  ever  before,  he  also  felt  a  new,  great  trust  in  her 
now  that  he  was  to  put  his  happiness  into  her  hands 


J.  DEVLIN—BOSS  352 

for  aye  or  nay.  Between  the  teasing,  light-hearted 
lines  of  the  little  note  in  his  pocket  he  was  able  to 
read  a  true,  steady  faith  in  himself.  It  made  him 
steadfast  in  his  determination  to  be  honest  with  her 
and  with  himself.  In  the  time  since  he  had  seen 
her  last  he  had  come  to  look  at  everything  more 
earnestly. 

With  her  family  she  had  gone  abroad  the  summer 
following  the  Chicago  Convention,  and  he  had  re 
ceived  intermittent  letters  from  her  from  'all  sorts  of 
places.  But  the  intervals  between  these  letters  had 
steadily  increased  after  Dick  Gans  joined  the  travel 
ers  in  Geneva.  Then,  Tom  Rowell  told  him  one 
day  that  Ellen  Harper,  who  had  been  with  the  Cham 
bers  in  Berlin,  wrote  that  Molly  and  Dick  were  said 
to  be  engaged,  but  that  it  wouldn't  be  announced  till 
autumn.  For  some  time  after  this  Jack  believed  that 
all  the  bitterness  of  life  was  his.  He  contemplated 
a  dozen  desperate  deeds;  but  he  did  nothing  worse 
than  throw  away  a  few  dollars  on  the  stock  market 
with  a  wild  idea  of  becoming  suddenly  rich,  and 
flaunting  his  wealth  before  the  heartless  and  envious 
Mrs.  Richard  Gans.  When  Molly's  engagement  was 
not  announced  and  he  got  a  letter  from  her  and  then 
others,  he  plucked  up  heart.  All  was  not  lost  yet. 
But  the  crisis  did  him  good.  It  put  him  in  closer 
touch  with  his  real  self,  it  revealed  to  him  his 
strength  and  weakness — it  steadied  him.  If  it 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  353 

tended  to  make  him  less  impulsive,  it  also  made  him 
look  at  himself  and  others  with  saner  judgment. 

But  it  was  hard  to  be  calm,  and  trustful  and 
staunch  to  his  promise  to  himself  when  he  saw  her. 
In  that  room  he  knew  so  well  with  its  polished  floors, 
darkened  windows  and  linen-draped  furniture  all 
was  gratefully  cool;  the  sight  of  the  big  fire-place 
brought  remembrance  of  so  many  happy  hours 
which  might  never  be  enjoyed  again.  It  seemed  to 
him  as  if  he  had  left  the  mournful  realities  of  his 
position  together  with  the  glare  and  heat  of  the  day 
— outside.  Here  all  was  quiet  and  contentment. 
Molly,  in  a  dotted  muslin  dress  with  gay  bows, 
brought  with  her  a  fragrant  freshness.  It  steeped 
his  nostrils.  He  fed  his  eyes  on  her.  A  stray  sun 
beam,  slanting  through  the  shutters,  fell  upon  her 
head  and  pilfered  the  gold  from  her  hair  so  that  a 
ladder  of  dancing  motes  reached  the  window. 

She  had  changed  a  little.  Her  figure  was  more 
rounded;  the  riches  of  young  womanhood  crowned 
her.  Her  eyes  were  deeper  and  shaded  by  a  sweet 
seriousness ;  her  manner  touched  by  an  illusive  some 
thing  which  made  her  more  piquant..  This  was  all 
that  two  years  had  added  to  the  picture  which  he  had 
been  carrying  in  his  heart. 

She  drew  her  hand  out  of  his  a  trifle  more  quickly 
than  she  had  been  wont  to  do,  but  the  ring  of  com 
mand  which  was  in  her  voice  as  she  bade  him  sit 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  354 

down  and  tell  her  everything,  was  as  dear  to  him  as 
in  the  past. 

It  was  so  easy  to  slip  into  their  old  confidences. 
He  was  watching  her  eager  eyes,  listening  to  her 
laughing  reminiscences — untroubled,  forgetful  of 
everything  else — before  he  realized  that  his  resolves 
were  passing  from  him.  It  was  harder  than  ever 
then  to  throw  off  the  spell  of  her  enchantment  and 
his  hopes,  and  look  at  the  truth.  It  was  yet  harder 
to  point  this  out  to  her. 

Then  she  suddenly  asked,  "  Now,  how  about  all 
of  my  friends  here?  I  have  been  talking  so  much 
that  I  didn't  let  you  tell  me  anything.  How  is — 
Jimmy?  " 

"  All  right,"  he  answered.  Her  question  was  a 
tonic  to  his  purpose.  It  seemed  to  him  to  whisper, 
"Now  is  the  time!  Tell  her!  Tell  her!"  He 
braced  himself,  and  went  on,  "  Jimmy  is  very  busy; 
he  has  a  big — political  fight  on  his  hands.  Have  you 
heard  of  it?" 

"  Uncle  Will  said  something  of  it  last  night.  He 
spoke  of  a  committee  of  citizens  which  was  being 
formed  to  fight  against — Jimmy!  But  I  didn't 
realize  that  it  was  Jimmy  then.  What  has  he 
done." 

"He?  Nothing,"  returned  Jack  slowly.  "At 
least,  Jimmy  is  only  what  he  has  always  been — a 
Boss.  But  a  lot  of  people  seem  to  be  bent  on  ruining 
him," 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  355 

"  To  drive  him  out  of  politics?  What  a  shame!  " 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  a  shame?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course,  I  do.  What  a  question  to  ask 
one  of  his  friends !  " 

"  You  don't  think,  then,  because  so  many  people 
are  down  on  him,  that  he  and — the  men  he  stands 
for  are  all  bad?" 

"  You  know  I  don't  think  Jimmy's  bad.  You've 
heard  Uncle  Will  say  that  he  didn't  think  so  either. 
Why,  Uncle's  refused  to  join  that  committee  to 
fight  him.  I  heard  him  say  so  last  night.  But  that's 
a  secret." 

"  Your  Uncle  refused?  "  exclaimed  Jack.  He  had 
heard  reports  of  this  Committee  of  Fifty  to  conduct 
the  fight  for  reform ;  if  Mr.  Chambers  had  declined 
to  join  it,  he  must  have  some  sympathy  with  Jimmy 
and  those  he  represented.  He  asked  eagerly,  "  What 
did  your  Uncle  say  ?  I  mean,  why  didn't  he  go  into 
the  committee?  " 

"  He  was  too  busy,  he  said ;  and  he  didn't  care  to 
be  drawn  into  politics.  But,  I  think,  another  reason 
was  because  he  knows  Jimmy  and  is — interested  in 
him." 

"  '  Interested/  yes,  that  was  the  word,"  Jack  said 
silently.  He  should  have  known  better  than  to  be 
buoyed  up  by  the  chance  that  it  was  deeper  feeling. 
;<  Your  Uncle  doesn't  care  for  politics — except  to 
talk  about  them,"  he  forced  himself  to  say. 

"No,"  replied  Molly  frankly;  "I  don't  think  he 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  356 

does.  He  likes  to  be  well  informed.  As  for  anything 
more — well,  you  see  most  politicians  aren't — aren't 
the  same  as  Jimmy.  We're  awfully  democratic  here, 
as  you  know ;  but  there  are  limits."  She  laughed. 

"  Yes,  there  are — limits,"  echoed  Jack.  She  did 
not  detect  the  hard  note  in  his  voice,  and  went  on, 
"  Don't  you  remember  some  of  those  men  at  Chicago 
— the  kind  we  saw  shoving  each  other  around  in  the 
hotel  lobbies  and  marching  and  shouting.  That's  the 
kind  I  mean.  Imagine  them  here ! — in  this  house !  " 
She  laughed  again.  "  It's  absurd  to  think  of  it,  isn't 
it?  They'd  be  putting  their  feet  on  the  chairs  and 
doing  all  sorts  of  things  worse  than  that.  No,  I 
don't  think  Aunt  and  Uncle  could  stand  them,  no 
matter  how  hard  they  might  try  to  be  polite." 

Jack  stiffened  his  muscles;  he  felt  as  if  he  was 
about  to  take  an  icy  plunge,  yet  the  blood  burned 
his  neck  and  cheeks.  "Yes,"  he  said,  aimlessly; 
"  I  remember  the  men  you  mean.  That  was  a  fine 
trip,  though." 

"  Wasn't  it  ? "  she  agreed  with  enthusiasm. 
"  The  Convention !  and  Mr.  Conkling !  and  Mr.  Gar- 
field!  And  the  delegates!  We  had  a  splendid 
time."  She  went  on  to  recall  some  of  the  things 
which  had  happened. 

Suddenly,  Jack  sat  up  straightly,  and  checked  her 
with  the  words,  "  But  there  was  one  thing  happened 
at  Chicago  which  I  was  very  sorry  for." 

"What  was  it?"  she  inquired.     Her  eyes  were 


J.  DEVLIN—BOSS  357 

wide  open  with  wonderment.  She  saw  his  face  fill 
with  pain;  her  own  softened.  "  Why,  what's  the 
matter,  Jack?  "  she  asked. 

"I  lied  to  you  at  Chicago—Yes,  I  did."  He 
spoke  hurriedly.  "  Do  you  remember  a  man  that 
Jimmy  called  '  Brown  ? '  He  came  up  to  your  rooms 
and  Jimmy  introduced  him  to  you." 

"  Yes, — I  think — I  remember  him.  Oh!  of  course, 
I  do.  I  said  I  didn't  like  his  looks  ?  " 

"  That  was  my  father." 

"  Your — "  Molly  began.  She  did  not  go  on. 
She  recalled  things.  Jack's  confusion  at  the  time — 
Jimmy's  invention  of  circumstances  to  account  for 
this  confusion  and  for  the  visit — the  man's  sleek  ap 
pearance.  She  resented  the  deception,  but  in  a  mo 
ment  she  understood  that  it  must  have  been  for  a 
purpose.  And,  wondering  what  this  could  have 
been,  she  looked  into  Jack's  face;  and  the  purpose 
was  revealed  to  her.  Had  he  not  just  told  her  that 
his  father  was — what  he  was  ashamed  of?  Jimmy 
must  have  known  this,  and,  knowing  it,  have  done 
what  he  could  to  help  him. 

But  while  these  things  were  passing  through  her 
mind,  Jack  was  speaking.  "  Yes,  that  was  my 
father."  His  voice  was  almost  defiant;  it  was  a 
poor  disguise,  but  the  only  one  for  his  wretchedness. 
"  And  he's  the  one  who  has  got  Jimmy  into  all  this 
trouble.  Jimmy  got  in  a  fight  over  him.  That  com 
mittee  your  uncle  was  asked  to  join  was  formed 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  358 

because  Jimmy  is  going  to  have  my  father  elected 
to  City  Councils." 

"  I'm — sorry,"  said  Molly.  She  could  think  of 
nothing  else  to  say. 

:<  You're  not  as  sorry  as  I  am,"  he  returned.  "  For 
I'm  his  son.  And  he's — Oh,  what's  the  use  of 
going  on!  It  isn't  interesting  to  you."  He  came 
to  a  quick  halt.  She  had  said  nothing ;  he  felt  a  new 
edge  of  bitterness. 

And  still  Molly  said  nothing.  There  was  nothing 
that  she  could  say,  it  seemed  to  her.  Jack  was 
driven  by  her  silence  to  go  on  with  his  explanation. 
"  I  told  you,"  he  said,  "  so  that  you  wouldn't  think 
I  was  pretending  to  be — what  I  wasn't.  I  would 
have  told  you  before  only — I  never  thought  of  it. 
That  sounds  strange;  but  it's  so — it's  so." 

"  I  wish  you  had  told  me — at  Chicago,"  said 
Molly.  "  It  would  have  been  so  much — so  much 
easier,  somehow." 

"  Maybe  it  would.  But  I  didn't  tell  you.  I 
didn't  think  so  much  about  it — then.  And  Jimmy — 
Jimmy  is  the  best  friend  I  ever  had,  and  I — just  let 
things  go — because  he  wanted  them  that  way." 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  "  I  don't  suppose  he  could  have 
done  anything  else.  But,  I  wish,  you  had  trusted 
me  a  little." 

"  Trust  you  ?  I  would  trust  you  with  anything, 
Molly.  But — it  was  my  father — I  couldn't — !  And 
Jimmy  thought  so  much  of  me  he  didn't  see  that  he 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  359 

was  doing  wrong  to  some  one  else.  You  must  for 
give  him;  he  didn't  mean  it." 

"  Of  course,  I  forgive  him." 

"And— me?" 

"  You  ?  There  is  nothing  to  forgive  you  for. 
You  can't  help "  She  faltered  and  stopped. 

His  heart  was  sore.  "  No,  I  can't  help  being — 
what  I  am,"  he  said.  "  Only  I  could  have  told  you 
the  truth  at  the  start." 

"  But  you  have  told  me  now,  and  it  is  all  right. 
There  is  no  use  of  saying  anything  more." 

"  Then — you  mean  this  is  the — end  of  it?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

His  throat  was  dry ;  he  clenched  his  teeth,  and  saw 
that  she  noticed  it.  "  It's  nothing,"  he  declared. 
"  I  hoped  you  might  say — something  different ;  that's 
all." 

"  I  don't  understand,  Jack.  I  said  it  the  best  I 
could.  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  just  how  I  do  feel; 
but  I  can't." 

"  I  don't  want  you  to,"  he  answered  quickly.  "  I 
understand."  He  got  to  his  feet  somehow,  so  dazed 
and  miserable.  "  Jack!  Where  are  you  going?" 
she  said.  But  he  did  not  speak,  and  turned  toward 
the  door. 

She  sprang  up,  and  laid  a  hand  on  his 
arm.  "Jack!  Jack!"  she  cried.  "Don't  look 
that  way.  Tell  me  what's  the  matter!  Aren't  we 
friends?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  360 

He  shook  his  head;  he  was  desperately  trying  to 
lock  up  his  sobs  by  pressing  his  lips  together.  "  But 
we  are  friends,"  she  cried  again.  "  You  sha'n't  go ! 
Sit  right  down !  "  She  pushed  him,  and  suddenly 
he  sank  back  in  the  chair,  and  the  tears  trickled 
between  his  fingers. 

There  is  a  mother  in  every  girl's  heart  which  has 
only  to  be  called  to  answer  and  pour  out  its  comfort 
and  healing.  Molly's  hand  yet  rested  on  his  arm; 
and,  though  she  said  nothing,  she  spoke  to  him  so 
that  his  pain  was  soothed,  his  sobs  abated.  All  at 
once,  he  leaned  toward  her,  his  face  and  voice 
yearning.  "  And  we  shall  be  friends — always  ?  " 
he  begged. 

She  laid  her  hand  in  one  of  his,  and  it  closed  with 
nervous  clasp.  Sweetness  and  strength  and  some 
thing  of  his  old  happiness  ran  from  her  fingers 
into  his.  "  Molly!  Molly!  "  he  whispered. 

When  he  went  away,  half  an  hour  afterward,  the 
sun  had  sunk  behind  the  houses.  Long  shadows 
lay  on  the  pavements.  Sparrows,  clustering  in  the 
ivy-covered  walls,  twittered  contentedly.  The  sky, 
dappled  with  fleecy  balls  of  cloud,  edged  with  crim 
son,  had  lost  its  brazen  glare.  A  wandering  breeze 
stirred  the  silver  poplars  and  swept  away  the  swim 
ming  heat.  He  took  off  his  hat;  the  air  played 
with  his  hair  and  cooled  his  head.  He  walked  on, 
block  after  block,  repeating  her  words  to  himself. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  361 

He  thought  that  he  understood  what  she  had  in 
tended  he  should  understand. 

"I  can  be  just  her — good  friend!"  he  said  half 
aloud.     And  when  he  said  it  he  meant  it. 


CHAPTER  XIX  362 

**T  NEED  hardly  say  why  I  asked  you  to  come 

here  this  evening,  Mr.  Walsh,"  said  Joseph 

Gans.     It  was  in  his  library,  two  weeks  after 

Jimmy  had  been  given  the  lie,  and  returned  a  blow. 

"  I  have  an  idea,"  answered  Walsh.  "  You  think 
the  time  is  come  to  do  what  we've — spoken  of  be 
fore." 

"  Yes,  Devlin  has  put  himself  in  a  bad  hole.  We 
must  take  full  advantage  of  it.  But,  first,  are  we 
to  count  you  on  our  side  ?  " 

Walsh's  smile  behind  his  glasses  might  have  meant 
anything. 

"  You  want  to  know  where  we  stand  ?  What  we 
have  to  offer?  Well,  in  the  first  place,  as  the  fact 
will  be  public  property  in  a  few  days,  I  may  tell 
you  that  we  have  formed  a  committee  of  fifty  citi 
zens.  They  are  representative  men — merchants, 
lawyers,  physicians  and  the  like.  They  are  among 
the  most  influential  men  in  the  city.  Here  is  the 
list." 

Walsh  read  the  double  sheet  of  foolscap  in  silence. 
He  folded  the  paper,  and  returned  it.  "  It  is  a 
strong  list.  It  means  a  great  deal,"  he  said — "  if — " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  363 

"If  we  can  stick  together?  We  will.  You  have 
only  to  listen  to  what  is  talked  of  in  every  respecta 
ble  quarter  of  the  city  to  learn  how  widespread  and 
determined  is  the  feeling  against  Devlin  and  his 
methods." 

"  '  Talk/  Jimmy  says,  is  fit  only  to  fill  toy  bal 
loons." 

"  But  this  is  a  different  kind.  You  know  the  cali 
bre  of  the  men  on  that  list;  they  generally  accomplish 
what  they  set  out  to  do.  It  took  a  good  deal  to  get 
them  started,  I'll  admit;  now  that  they  are  aroused, 
they  will  wage  such  a  fight  against  the  political 
machine  as  never  has  been  seen  before." 

"  But  they  have  no  political  experience." 

"  Very  little.  The  Citizens'  League  will  do  all  it 
can  to  supply  that.  For  the  rest — we  look  to  you 
and,  possibly,  Showell." 

"  And  if  we  don't  see  our  way  to  join  you?  " 

"  Frankly,  then,  we  shall  fight  you  as  well  as 
Devlin." 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  squarely. 
Walsh's  face  was  inscrutable ;  it  was  matched  by  the 
open,  intelligent,  earnest  countenance  of  Cans,  which, 
having  nothing  to  conceal  in  the  immediate  issue, 
furnished  no  due  to  the  keen  inspection  of  the 
other. 

"  If  you  fought  Devlin,  Showell  and  myself  we 
should  beat  you,"  declared  Walsh. 

"  Probably,  in  the  first  encounter.     But  we  are  in 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  364 

this  fight  to  stay  as  long  as  the  evils  remain.  We 
shall  not  be  deterred  by  a  reverse." 

"  Devlin  is  your  one  complaint?  " 

"  No*,  but  he  is  the  chief  one.  We  intend  to  teach 
a  lesson  which  will  be  remembered.  We  are  not  im 
practicable;  we  are  almost  willing  to  recognize  the 
Boss  as  a  necessity  of  our  political  system.  But  he 
has  got  to  be  a  Boss  who  is  amenable  to  the  wishes 
of  the  people  in  some  degree.  Abuses  like  the  Water 
Trust  are  going  to  be  stamped  out.  No  man  shall 
again  get  a  hold  such  as  Devlin  has  had." 

"  You  forget  that  three  of  us  hold  that  position. 
What  of  Showell  and  myself?  " 

"  You  will  be  with  us,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  But  after  this  fight  is — won  ?  " 

Cans  replied  slowly,  after  a  pause,  "  What  you 
do  then  remains  with  yourselves.  If  you  profit  by 
the  lesson  taught  J.  Devlin — Boss,  you  should  have  a 
secure  place.  There  is  legitimate  power  in  politics. 
At  least,  what  there  'is,  is  better  than  none  at 
all." 

"  You  are  candid,"  remarked  Walsh  drily. 

"  You  know  that  I  have  spoken  common  sense. 
I  think  you  will  be  with  us." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  you  are  an  ambitious  man,  and  because 
you  now  have  a  choice  before  you.  Devlin  never 
had  such  a  chance,  I  daresay.  He  took  politics  as 
he  found  them,  and  made  all  that  he  could  out  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  365 

them  for  himself.  He  is  shrewd  and  a  hard  worker ; 
he  earned  what  he  got,  in  a  way.  But  it  was  earned 
by  twisting  everything;  he  has  gone  so  far  that  he 
can't  back  out  now." 

"  Which  he  wouldn't  do,  if  he  could." 

"  No,  but  you  can,  and  will.  Devlin  is  your  rival. 
I  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  one  trick  he  played 
you  which  serves  as  evidence  of  this.  He  means 
that  you  shall  never  supersede  him.  Now  is  your 
opportunity." 

Walsh's  lips  made  a  thin  line.  "  That  is  a  ques 
tion,"  he  said. 

Cans  walked  across  the  room.  When  he  was 
facing  Walsh  again,  he  stopped,  and  said,  "  There 
is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  bandying  words.  You 
know  the  situation;  you  came  here  with  your  mind 
made  up.  We  want  you  to  speak  out — to-night. 
Are  you  for,  or  against  us  ?  " 

"  With  you,"  answered  Walsh  shortly.  "  But  in 
secret,  for  the  present." 

"  Of  course.  We  have  talked  over  that.  No  one 
but  our  committee  -  and  Showell  and  yourself  shall 
know  that  you.  are  not  Devlin's  ally, — at  least  not 
until  the  nominations  are  sprung.  I  don't  like 
treachery,  but,  I  suppose,  we  must  fight  him  with 
every  weapon  we  can  get." 

"  You'd  be  laughed  at  if  you  didn't.  And  Show- 
ell  and  I  ?  We  are  to  have  a  free  foot  in  conducting 
our  end  of  the  fight?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  366 

"  Entirely  so,  except  that  we  must  agree  upon  the 
nominations." 

"  You  are  trustful/'  remarked  Walsh. 

"  I  have  the  best  reason  to  be  so — with  you.  I 
know  that  you  cannot  hope  to  get  what  yo^  want 
by  betraying  us  to  Devlin.  For  both  you  and  Devlin 
can't  be  supreme  at  the  same  time  and  you  will  be 
content  with  nothing  less  than  first  place." 

Walsh  smiled ;  it  was  a  tribute  to  the  other's  pene 
tration. 

"  As  to  Showell  ?  Will  he  be  governed  by  your 
decision?"  Cans  asked. 

"  Sam  Showell,"  said  Walsh,  "  is  governed  by  two 
things — his  stomach  and  his  pocketbook.  He  can 
satisfy  the  first  if  the  second  is  well  supplied.  I 
can  show  him  that  it  will  be  very  empty,  if  he  doesn't 
stick  by  me." 

"  He  must  be  kept  within  bounds,"  returned  Cans. 
"  But  we  must  have  him.  He  can  deal  with  a 
class  of  voters  we  should  have  a  hard  time  to  ap 
proach." 

"  He  will  be  with  me.  He  has  no  reason  to  love 
Jimmy,  anyhow." 

The  two  men  bade  each  other  good-night  an  hour 
later.  As  they  faced  each  other  the  contrast  was 
marked.  But  their  respect  for  brains  was  mutual, 
and  of  this  they  made  no  concealment.  But,  for  all 
that,  each  had  a  plan  which  he  did  not  confide  to  the 
other. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  367 

Gans  intended  that  the  downfall  of  Jimmy  should 
be  the  beginning  of  a  concentrated  attack  on  Walsh, 
if  the  latter,  as  he  foresaw,  attempted  to  revive  in 
himself  the  methods  and  domination  of  Jimmy. 

Walsh  had  decided  that  the  same  downfall  should 
furnish  opportunity  for  discarding  his  reform  allies, 
and,  as  soon  as  might  be,  declaring  himself  boldly 
for  what  he  was  determined  to  be — dictator  of  party 
politics  in  the  city. 

But  all  this  depended  upon  Jimmy's  downfall,  and 
such  a  catastrophe  Jimmy  himself  did  not  regard 
with  apprehension.  The  unique  and  formidable 
revelation  of  the  independent  spirit  in  politics  em 
bodied  in  the  Committee  of  Fifty,  now  with  its  aims 
declared  and  its  representatives  hard  at  work,  had 
not  surprised  him  entirely.  He  understood  that  the 
first  real  fight  of  his  life  as  a  leader  of  the  party  was 
on;  and  his  eyes  kindled  at  the  prospect.  He  re 
gretted  the  blow  he  had  struck,  yet,  secretly  he  was 
glad  of  the  occasion  which  it  had  precipitated  for 
him  to  demonstrate  his  personal  force,  and  make  an 
end,  for  once  and  all,  of  the  persistent  and  growing 
attempts  to  cripple  him.  He  believed  that  the  time 
had  come  when  he  should  assert  himself,  and  domi 
nate  allies  and  foes  alike. 

For  Jimmy,  as  the  weeks  wore  on  and  the  Com 
mittee  of  Fifty  disclosed  its  strength,  saw  that  the 
reformers  would  be  defeated.  The  contest  would  be 
sharp,  but  it  could  have  but  one  ending,  under  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  368 

circumstances.  The  minority  party,  with  wisdom 
bought  of  many  and  calamitous  tilts  with  him,  held 
aloof  from  the  reformers.  They  rejected  the  prof 
fers  of  an  alliance  because  they  believed  that  their 
best  chance  was  to  fight  independently.  If  they 
were  not  successful  in  this  fight,  at  least  they  would 
be  no  worse  off  than  before;  if  Jimmy  won,  which 
they  firmly  believed  he  would,  they  would  not  figure 
among  his  personal  enemies.  Moreover,  they  had  an 
innate  reluctance  to  associating  themselves  with  a 
movement  which  had  for  its  purpose  the  disposses 
sion  of  political  bosses.  So  the  situation  developed 
into  a  three-cornered  fight,  the  main  issue  lying, 
apparently,  between  the  Committee  of  Fifty  and  the 
Three  Czars. 

For  all  his  confidence  in  the  result,  Jimmy  threw 
himself  into  the  preliminaries  of  this  struggle  with 
energy.  The  summer  months  saw  him  working 
night  and  day.  He  fairly  ran  Walsh  and  Showell 
off  their  feet.  Again  and  again  he  spurred  them 
on. 

"  What's  th'  use  of  this  break-neck  rush?  "  asked 
Walsh  one  day.  "  They  can't  beat  th'  three  of  us ; 
you  say  that  yourself." 

"  Yes,  I'm  about  played  out,"  complained  Showell, 
mopping  his  forehead.  "  You'll  do  yourself  up,  if 
yo'  don't  quit,"  he  admonished. 

"  It's  no  time  for  resting  now,"  returned  Jimmy. 
"  We  will  beat  them,  but  not  by  taking  things  easy. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  369 

Wait  a  few  weeks.  Then  we  can  slack  up  with 
safety." 

So,  while  Walsh  and  Showell  left  town  in  July 
for  a  brief  rest  Jimmy  stuck  to  his  post  and  worked 
hard  enough  for  the  three. 

The  summer  was  a  trying  one;  the  heat  intense; 
and  now  and  then  he  had  a  sensation  of  faint- 
ness  in  his  head.  It  was  a  warning,  which  for  a 
time,  he  refused  to  harken  to,  because  it  seemed,  with 
each  succeeding  day,  that  Walsh  and  Showell  allowed 
more  of  the  work  to  fall  on  his  shoulders,  and  he 
was  too  proud  to  weaken  under  the  strain.  Besides, 
nothing  suited  his  own  plans  better  than  to  have  the 
final  settlement  of  questions  left  to  him.  Increased 
responsibility  and  labor  now  meant  for  him  a 
stronger  grasp  on  the  situation  and  greater  personal 
power  when  victory  was  won. 

The  selection  of  a  City  ticket  to  be  nominated  in 
September  was  largely  made  by  him,  and  the  dis 
couraging  task  of  adjusting  differences  in  the  wards 
among  the  various  factions  was  accomplished  by  his 
perseverance  and  sagacity.  Marcus's  prospective 
nomination  was  the  most  distasteful,  but  not  the 
most  difficult  of  the  questions  which  his  powers  of 
persuasion  settled. 

But  after  the  party  ticket  had  been  substantially 
agreed  upon,  one  morning  in  August,  a  strange 
blindness  suddenly  fell  upon  him  while  he  was  in 
the  street,  and  it  was  borne  upon  him  that,  if  he  did 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  370 

not  take  a  holiday  at  once,  something  very  incon 
venient  would  happen  soon. 

Quite  abruptly  that  afternoon  he  turned  to  Walsh 
and  Showell  and  shamefacedly  acknowledged  that 
the  heat  had  overmastered  him.  He  said,  "  Now, 
I'm  going  to  get  out  of  this.  If  anybody  wants  to 
know  where  Jimmy  is  for  th'  next  two  weeks,  tell 
'em  an  angel  carried  him  away,  he  was  so  good.  I 
leave  to-morrow." 

"For  two  weeks,  did  you  say?"  asked  Walsh. 
He  was  facing  the  other  way,  and  the  back  of  the 
head  lacks  expression. 

Jimmy  answered  what  seemed  to  be  a  casual 
question.  "  Yes,  for  two  weeks.  There's  no  more 
to  be  done  right  now.  Everything's  running  like  a 
train  of  cars.  You  and  Showell  can  keep  th'  track 
clear,  I  guess." 

Showell  nodded  and  put  a  hand  to  his  face. 
Jimmy's  sight  was  keen,  and  Showell  knew  that  his 
features  were  not  proof  against  the  elation  that 
stirred  him. 

But  Walsh  was  better  off.  He  turned  and  held 
out  a  hand.  His  voice  was  as  cordial  as  it  ever 
could  be.  "  I'm  glad  you're  going,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  I've  been  telling  you  all  along  that  you  needed  a 
rest." 

"  We'll  notify  you,  if  anything  turns  up,"  said 
Showell. 

"  No,  you  won't,"  returned  Jimmy.     "  For  you 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  371 

won't  know  where  I  am.  I  wouldn't  go  if  there  was 
any  chance  of  you  needing  me.  Th'  way  it  is,  I 
won't  have  telegrams  or  letters  chasing  me.  I'm 
not  going  to  leave  my  address." 

With  a  light  heart  and  a  feeling  akin  to  that  which 
possessed  him  when,  as  a  boy,  he  ran  from  the 
"  News  "  office,  work  being  done  for  the  day,  Jimmy 
walked  toward  Kate's  house  that  same  afternoon. 

On  the  way  he  chanced  upon  Casey,  and  gave  him 
a  cheery  "  good-day/'  Then,  something  made  him 
stop  and  call  Casey  to  his  side. 

"  Mat,"  he  said,  "  you've  got  a  good  pair  of  ears?  " 

"  Mrs.  Casey  complains  thet  they  sthick  out," 
Casey  replied. 

"  Perhaps  they're  all  th'  better  for  that,"  said 
Jimmy.  "  At  any  rate,  good  hearing's  what  I'm 
after.  So  keep  your  ears  open  for  th'  next  couple  of 
weeks.  If  anything  goes  into  your  head  that  you 
know  I  must  hear — must,  you  understand — take 
yourself  to  this  address  and  see  Mrs.  Doran.  Catch 
on?" 

The  little  Irishman  nodded  sagaciously,  and 
Jimmy  left  him.  But  he  said  nothing  to  Kate  of  his 
holiday  until  he  was  about  to  leave.  Then  he  handed 
her  a  slip  of  paper. 

She  read  aloud  the  few  words  penciled  on  it.  "  J. 
H.  Smith— Bay  Side  Hotel— Sea  Cliff."  She  looked 
up.  "  I  don't  understand,"  she  said.  "  What  does 
this  mean  ?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  372 

"  It  means,"  he  said,  "  that,  if  you  want  to  let 
me  know  anything  during  th'  next  two  weeks,  you're 
to  write  that  on  your  envelope.  I'm  going  off  to 
get  acquainted  with  myself — under  a  new  name. 
Jimmy  doesn't  seem  to  be  a  good  holiday  name, 
somehow." 


CHAPTER  XX  373 

Ct  A  N'  once  he  tried  t'  make  me  b'lieve  I  didn't 
r\  know  nuthin'  'bout  politics,"  remarked 

^  Bill  Brady.  Brady's  lean,  furrowed  face 

was  wrinkled  in  humorous  appreciation  of  the  in 
ference  of  his  reflection.  He  tilted  back  further  in 
his  chair,  and  shifted  his  feet,  which  were  propped 
against  the  table. 

"  Every  dog  has  his  day,"  rejoined  Sam  Showell. 
Like  Brady's,  his  chair  was  balanced  on  two  legs, 
and  its  occupant,  in  shirt  sleeves  and  without  his 
collar,  was  attired  like  the  men  about  him.  He 
wiped  his  perspiring  face,  blew  a  cloud  of  smoke 
and  watched  it  drift  from  the  open  window  into 
the  air  of  the  hot  August  night.  "  Jimmy's  day'll 
end  so  soon  he  won't  know  where  he's  at,  eh,  Ed?  " 
he  added,  addressing  Walsh. 

Walsh  who  retained  his  coat  and  wore  a  high  col 
lar,  passed  a  handkerchief  lightly  across  his  fore 
head.  "  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  and  you  may  remem 
ber,  Showell,  I  said  something  about  that — one  elec 
tion  night,  not  long  ago.  The  time  came  quicker 
than  I  had  hoped  for.  Jimmy  helped  us  along  when 
he  knocked  down  that  fire-eater,  Claghorn." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  374 

The  speaker  removed  his  eye-glasses,  and  leis 
urely  polished  them.  He  did  it  with  a  deliberate 
care  that  was  characteristic  of  him.  His  person 
seemed  to  exhale  an  atmosphere  of  cool  comfort 
which  made  the  heat  more  trying  to  his  companions. 

There  were  seven  men  in  varying  states  of  un 
dress  in  this  room  which  Showell  used  as  an  office. 
They  had  met  at  eight  o'clock  of  that  evening,  and  it 
was  now  ten  o'clock.  The  room  was  filled  with 
smoke  in  which  the  gas  flames  burned  with  yellow 
edges.  For  the  two  hours  the  men  had  gulped  ice 
water  and  sworn  at  the  heat,  and  talked.  But,  for 
most  of  the  time,  they  had  been  listening  to  Walsh. 
He  was  tacitly  recognized  as  chairman  of  their  meet 
ings,  and  already  had  presided  at  half  a  dozen  at 
which  were  the  men  now  around  him.  He  was  the 
organizer  of  the  plan  which  had  first  brought  them 
together,  and  he,  too,  was  the  connecting  link  with 
the  Committee  of  Fifty. 

Walsh  replaced  his  glasses,  and  spoke  again.  He 
reviewed  certain  facts  in  the  political  situation  as 
developed  within  the  past  two  months  and  particu 
larly  in  the  week  past.  He  talked  in  a  clear  voice 
that  made  every  word  distinct.  Only  those  who 
knew  him  thoroughly  would  have  guessed  that  his 
colorless  tones  and  unmoved  face  masked  feelings 
deep  and  dominating,  and  that  he  exulted  inwardly 
when  his  language  was  most  matter  of  fact. 

The  men  listened  to  him  almost  with  indiffer- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  375 

ence.  They  were  familiar  with  what  he  was  telling 
them.  But,  when  he  had  finished  his  rapid  survey, 
Showell  put  in,  "  Did  y'  see  Gans  t'day?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Walsh,  "  and  he  is  satisfied/' 

"  With  eight  Councilmen  ?  I  thought  he'd  raise 
a  kick  when  it  came  out  yesterday  that  we'd  got  th' 
Nineteenth  and  Eighth  Wards.  That  gives  us 
twelve  for  certain." 

"  Twelve  Councilmen ;  but  th'  Committee  splits 
even  with  us  on  th'  Magistrates." 

"  They  get  their  share.  They  get  a  lot  more  than 
they  ought,  it  strikes  me,"  declared  Con  Murray, 
who  was  thin,  short  and  wiry,  with  coarse  face. 

"  A  damn  sight  more !  "  added  Brady.  "  I  tell 
y',  Walsh,  these  here  reformers  have  bin  layin'  down 
th'  law  too  strong  t'  my  way  a  thinkin'." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  returned  Walsh.  "  They're 
able  to  lay  down  th'  law  some — just  now.  We  all 
know  that,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  th'  Committee,  we 
couldn't  have  controlled  th'  City  ticket.  As  it 
stands, — we've  got  Jimmy  beaten." 

Brady  chuckled.  "  Beat  good  an'  hard,"  he 
confirmed.  "  An'  th'  best  of  it  is  he's — down  by 
th'  waves — takin'  life  easy;  an'  don't  know  nuthin'. 
Say,  Walsh,  you  didn't  do  a  thing  but  shut  his  eye 
up,  you  an'  Showell !  " 

Showell  grinned.  "  We  did  it  all  right,  you  bet," 
he  said.  "  He  ain't  got  a  smell  of  what's  goin'  on." 

"  Sure?  "  asked  Murray. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  376 

"  I'm  as  good  as  sure,"  replied  Walsh.  "  I  know 
Jimmy  pretty  well.  I've  been  in  his  confidence  as 
much  as  any  one  ever  was,  I  guess ;  and  I  don't  be 
lieve  he  has  th'  smallest  idea  of  anything  going 
wrong.  Even  now  his  people  are  only  beginning 
to  scent  trouble;  they  don't  know  what's  in  th'  air, 
and  they  don't  know  where  to  find  him,  which  is  bet 
ter  still.  He'll  be  away  a  week  longer — according  to 
his  plans.  By  th'  time  he  comes  back-—" 

"  It  won't  matter  much  what  he  finds  out," 
Showell  supplied.  "  With  th'  primaries  fixed  th' 
way  we've  got  'em  already,  an'  th'  Conventions  put 
in  such  shape  that  they  can't  be  shaken,  why,  Jimmy 
can  run  about  all  he's  a  mind  to." 

"  I  think  we're  safe,"  went  on  Walsh.  "  We've 
got  th'  whip-handle  of  Jimmy  this  time.  As  for  th' 
Committee  of  Fifty,  they  think  they'll  down  us 
after  this  is  all  over;  but  I  can't  see  that  that  need 
worry  us,  if  we  keep  our  mouths  shut  and  our  eyes 
wide  open.  Th'  thing  we  care  about  is  that  they're 
helping  us  to  down  Mr.  J.  Devlin."  Walsh  lin 
gered  on  the  name  with  sarcastic  emphasis.  There 
was  a  suspicion  of  triumph  in  his  face,  a  touch  of 
color  in  his  pale  cheeks.  He  looked  around  on  the 
men.  The  room  was  absolutely  silent. 

Then  a  floor  board  cracked  loudly  in  the  hallway, 
and  Walsh  sprang  to  his  feet.  Without  a  word,  he 
strode  to  the  door,  unlocked  it  and  opened  it  sud 
denly.  He  slipped  into  the  hall. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  377 

It  was  dark  there  except  for  a  light  flickering  at 
the  stairhead,  twenty  feet  away.  The  building  was 
an  old  one,  its  one-time  bed-chambers  serving  as 
offices.  Its  hallways  were  cut  up  and  badly  lighted. 
Walsh,  peering  into  the  gloom,  could  see  no 
one. 

He  stood  listening.  Then  he  walked  to  the  stair 
head,  and  looked  down.  A  lamp  on  the  street  just 
outside  the  open  door  made  a  rectangle  of  light. 
Nothing  interrupted  his  field  of  vision  there.  He 
walked  back  and  along  the  hallway,  past  the  door 
where  his  companions  were.  They  called  to  him, 
but  he  went  on.  He  hunted  in  the  darkness  in  the 
rear  of  the  hall,  but  found  nothing  to  confirm  his 
suspicions.  He  returned  to  the  room.  Brady  and 
Murray  had  <"ome  to  the  doorway.  The  rest  had  not 
stirred.  They  laughed  at  him  as  he  entered. 

"  See  any  ghosts?  "  asked  Brady. 

"  It  sounded  as  if  somebody  was  at  th'  door,"  he 
protested. 

"If  you'd  been  in  here  as  much  as  I  have  you 
wouldn't  jump  every  time  a  board  creaks,"  Showell 
said.  "  Th'  place's  a  regular  old  barn." 

Walsh  did  not  answer,  but  began  to  collect  some 
scattered  sheets  of  paper.  The  men  were  talking 
among  themselves.  Showell  stretched  his  arms, 
and  gave  a  prodigious  yawn.  "  I  guess  this  meetin' 
can  adjourn,  can't  it  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Walsh.     "  I  don't  think  there's 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  378 

anything  more — for  to-night.  We'll  meet  here — 
to-morrow  night,  if  that  suits  ?  " 

The  rest  of  the  men  agreed.  They  got  up,  and, 
with  much  grumbling,  began  to  don  their  collars. 
One  by  one,  they  went  down  the  stairs,  coats  on 
arms.  Walsh  and  Showell  went  last.  They  started 
to  walk  across-town  in  company.  They  were  talking 
earnestly.  So  intent  were  they  on  their  argument 
that  neither  of  them  noticed  a  man  dodge  around  a 
corner,  a  short  distance  ahead  of  them. 

But  this  man,  looking  over  his  shoulder,  had  seen 
them,  and  it  was  his  recognition  of  their  faces  which 
made  him  cut  out  of  their  way.  "  Thim  divils 
agin !  "  he  muttered,  and  increased  his  pace. 

He  was  a  short  man  with  sandy  hair  and  sharp 
eyes.  Behind  the  bar  in  Casey's  saloon  he  was 
familiarly  known  as  "  Mat."  But  just  at  this  time, 
Mat  Casey's  thoughts  were  very  far  from  his 
bottles  and  liquors.  He  was  silently  cursing  a  cer 
tain  loose  board  in  the  floor  of  a  hallway  back  of 
him,  and,  in  the  next  breath,  praising  the  saints  for 
the  gloom  in  the  rear  of  that  hallway.  It  was  the 
darkness  there,  coupled  with  Walsh's  failure  to  carry 
his  search  to  the  end  of  the  building  which  had 
enabled  him  to  avoid  discovery — a  discovery  that 
would  have  upset  his  plans. 

For  Mat  Casey  was  one  of  Jimmy's  people  who,  as 
Walsh  said,  scented  trouble.  Moreover,  having 
scented  it,  he  put  his  nose  to  the  trail  as  it  were, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  379 

and,  for  four  days,  followed  it  in  vain.  On  this 
night  he  had  met  with  better  luck;  and  his  feet  were 
growing  tired  with  standing  outside  a  closed  door, 
his  ear  pressed  against  its  panels,  when  his  presence 
was  signalled  by  a  sprung  board  in  the  floor.  When 
Walsh  and  Showell  went  down  stairs  he  followed 
them,  and  took  a  side  street.  After  he  dodged  them 
at  the  corner,  he  kept  to  the  small,  unfrequented 
streets ;  and  so,  in  a  few  minutes,  was  brought  to  the 
door-step  of  Marcus  Doran's  house.  While  he 
waited  admittance,  he  repeated  to  himself ;  "  'F  y' 
hear  anything,  see  Mrs.  Doran.' ' 

Presently,  a  lazy  footstep  sounded  from  within, 
and  the  door  opened.  Mat  found  himself  facing  a 
man.  It  was  Marcus  who  had  just  come  in. 

"  What  do  you  want?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Is  this  where  Mrs.  Doran  lives?  "  asked  Casey. 

"  Yes,  I'm  Mr.  Doran."  Marcus  did  not  know 
Casey  by  name,  but  a  faint  remembrance  of  his  face 
brought  Jimmy  to  his  recollection. 

"  I  want  t'  see  Mrs.  Doran;  I've  got  a  missage  fur 
her,"  explained  Casey. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  Marcus. 

"  Oi'll  be  afther  tillin'  't  only  t'  her." 

"  Then  you'll  wait  a  good  while ;  for  she's  not  to 
be  seen."  Marcus  wondered  what  the  message 
might  be  which  such  a  man  as  this  brought  to  Kate. 
His  faint  identification  of  Casey  made  him  link  it 
with  Jimmy;  and,  immediately,  he  was  interested. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  380 

As  the  message  was  not  meant  for  his  ears  he  was 
the  more  eager  to  hear  it.  "  Mrs.  Doran's  sick,"  he 
explained  in  a  less  aggressive  tone.  "  She  can't  see 
anybody.  If  th'  message  is  in  writing,  I'll  take  it  up 
to  her." 

"'T  isn't  in  writhin',"  replied  Casey.  He  was 
puzzled  what  to  do.  He  recognized  Marcus  as  a 
hanger-on  at  Jimmy's  office  and  there  was  every 
reason  why  the  latter,  therefore,  should  be  a  friend. 
But  the  word  which  he  carried  was  to  be  intrusted  to 
only  one  person.  It  was  Mrs.  Doran,  not  Mr.  Doran, 
whom  Jimmy  had  bade  him  seek  in  an  emergency. 
So  it  was  Mrs.  Doran,  and  no  one  else  that  he  would 
speak  his  tidings  to  now.  He  told  Marcus  this. 

Marcus  reiterated  his  explanation. 

Casey  wavered  the  briefest  moment.  His  keen 
eyes  studied  Marcus's  face  which  the  light  of  a  street 
lamp  partly  revealed.  He  was  not  prepossessed,  and 
declared,  "  But  'tis  Mrs.  Doran  Oi  must  see.  Tis 
important,  's  this  thing  Oi'm  t'  till  her." 

Marcus  tried  a  chance  shot  which  was  not  alto 
gether  a  chance  shot,  either.  "  It's  from  Mr.  Devlin, 
is  it?  "  he  said. 

"  No,  't  's  n't,"  returned  Casey.  "  But  't  's  him 
thet  '11  be  raisin'  all  hill,  'f  't  don't  rache  Mrs.  Doran 
all  roight  an'  at  wanst." 

Marcus  was  set  straight.  He  took  prompt  advan 
tage  of  the  opening.  "  Then  keep  your  message  for 
Mrs.  Doran  till  you  see  her  next,"  he  said.  "  And  I'll 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  381 

tell  Mr.  Devlin  about  to-night.  He'll  thank  you — 
in  his  own  way — when  he  hears  that  I  offered  to  take 
your  message  to  Mrs.  Doran,  when  she  couldn't  see 
you  herself;  and  that  you  refused  to  let  me  have  it." 
He  stepped  back,  and  reached  a  hand  toward  the 
door,  as  if  to  close  it. 

The  little  Irishman's  face  made  no  concealment  of 
his  anxiety.  "  Wait  a  minute  there,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Oi'm  thinkin'  av  't  over." 

He  looked  at  Marcus  again  and  again,  and  worked 
his  shoulders  uncomfortably.  He  distrusted  Mar 
cus  on  general  principles,  yet  he  was  much  more 
afraid  of  the  results  of  being  barred  out  with  his 
message  undelivered.  He  stood  so  long,  mumbling 
and  shifting  his  footing,  that  Marcus  made  another 
movement  toward  the  door. 

Casey  instantly  stepped  toward  him  and  laid  a 
hand  on  his  arm.  "  Oi'm  goin'  t'  till  't  t'  y',"  he  said 
in  a  low  voice.  "  An',  Mishter  Doran  do  y'  carry  th' 
same  sthraight  t'  Mrs.  Doran.  'F  y'  don't,  be  hivins ! 
Oi'll  be  hilpin'  y'  t'  a  share  av  me  own  onaisy  moind 
by  puttin'  me  fist  in  y'r  face  th'  first  toime  we  mate." 

Marcus  started  involuntarily,  then  tried  to  laugh. 
The  laugh  was  an  empty  one;  it  convinced  Casey 
that  he  faced  a  coward.  And  that  made  him  feel  less 
concern  as  to  the  safety  of  his  message.  '  Oi  mane 
all  thet,"  he  went  on.  "  But  this  's  no  toime  fur 
makin'  thrits.  Here's  th'  wurrurd  y're  t'  take  t'  Mrs. 
Doran.  They've  got  t'  in  fur  Mishter  Divilin — 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  382 

Walsh  an'  Showell  an'  th'  rist  av  thet  false-face 
gang.  They  're  holdin'  matins  behint  his  back,  an' 
he's  away  at  th'  say-shore,  an'  knows  nuthin'  av  't. 
They  wuz  wan  av  them  matins  t'night,  an'  'twuz 
mesilf  thet  overhird  their  talk.  They've  jined  hands 
wid  th'  Commitay  av  Fifty,  an'  they're  puttin'  up  a 
bunco  game  on  Jimmy — Mishter  Divilin,  I  mane.  I 
hird  them  say  thet  they'd  got  th'  whole  City  Ticket 
fixed,  an'  thet  th'  nominations  'd  give  him  no  more 
offices  than  y'  c'd  count  an  y'r  two  hands.  Thet  durty 
traitur  av  a  Walsh  's  ladin'  th'  consphiracy.  Be  th' 
same  token,  't  's  th'  divil  's  t'  pay!  'T  's  mesilf 
thet'd  run  all  av  th'  way  t'  till  Jimmy  av  this,  'f  I 
knew  where  he  wuz,  which  I  don't, — more  's  th'  bad 
luck.  An'  't  wuz  him  tould  me  b'fore  he  lift,  t' 
bring  any  missage  fur  him  here — t'  Mrs.  Doran — 
as  fast  as  Oi  c'd,  an'— thet's  all." 

Casey  had  talked  so  fast  that  he  came  to  a  stop 
gasping  for  breath.  His  eyes  were  aglow,  his  fingers 
working.  If  his  mind  had  not  been  concentrated  on 
his  story  he  might  have  profited  by  the  changes 
which  wrote  themselves  on  the  other's  countenance. 
When  he  did  think  to  notice  how  Marcus  took  the 
news,  he  saw  nothing  on  his  face  to  excite  alarm. 

Marcus  was  pale,  and  his  lips  twitched  a  little. 
Casey's  fleeting  impression  was  that  Marcus  took 
this  direful  information  to  heart,  and  he  was  glad  of 
it.  It  showed  that  he  was  startled  by  Jimmy's  danger. 

And  he  was  right.    Marcus  had  taken  the  news  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  383 

heart;  it  fairly  stunned  him  for  a  moment.  He  did 
not  credit  it  until  he  realized  how  accurately  Jimmy's 
absence  from  the  city  fitted  with  the  facts  which 
Casey  had  stated  and  with  the  rumors  of  double-deal 
ing  that  had  been  afloat  for  several  days.  Then,  it 
came  to  him  that  this  conspiracy  might  mean  Jim 
my's  downfall,  and  he  quaked — for  himself. 

He  saw  the  dreams  of  luxurious  ease  and  increas 
ing  power,  which  that  promise  of  the  nomination 
for  Councils  had  created,  fade  into  nothing..  He 
saw  his  hold  on  Jimmy  made  of  no  avail  by  Jimmy's 
ruin.  He  was  stricken  by  alarm  accordingly. 

When  Casey  grasped  his  arm,  and  urged  him, 
"  Be  afther  hurryin'  now !  Till  Mrs.  Doran  as  quick 
as  y'  can,"  he  could  only  stammer,  "  You  must  be 
wrong.  Jimmy's  not — going  to  be — fooled — that 
way.  There's  some  mistake." 

"  Mishtake's  there's  none,"  asserted  Casey.  "  I'm 
shure  av  what  I've  bin  tillin'  y'.  'F  Jimmy's  t'  save 
himsilf  't  's  back  here  he  must  be  at  wanst.  Mrs. 
Doran  '11  know  how  t'  get  him,  I'm  shure,  though  th' 
rist  av  us  has  no  idea  av  where  he  is." 

Marcus  hesitated  no  longer.  For  all  of  his  aston 
ishment  and  fears,  he  was  alive  to  the  unpleasant 
results  which  the  anger  of  the  little  Irishman  might 
entail.  He  put  out  a  hand. 

"  You've  done  a  good  thing  in  bringing  this 
message,"  he  said.  "  I'll  see  that  you  ain't  forgotten 
for  it." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  384 

Casey  gave  the  outstretched  hand  a  shake,  and 
dropped  it  quickly.  "  An',  indade,  "t  's  Mishter 
Divilin  '11  be  attindin*  t'  thet!  "  he  returned.  "  But 
y'  're  wastin'  y'r  toime.  Hurry,  an'  till  Mrs.  Doran 
Oi'll  wait  t'  hear  'f  't  's  all  roight." 

Marcus  turned,  and  walked  back  the  hallway 
briskly.  But,  when  he  reached  the  stairway  foot,  he 
paused,  and  slowly  went  up  the  stairs.  He  was  try 
ing  to  decide  what  to  do.  Should  he  tell  Kate,  and 
enable  her  to  warn  Jimmy?  His  personal  interests 
seemed  to  urge  this  course.  But  his  crafty  nature 
made  him  reluctant  to  take  the  irrevocable  step  until 
he  had  weighed  all  the  chances.  Even  now  he  saw 
dim  possibilities  in  profiting  from  Jimmy's  defeat, 
if  defeat  it  was  to  be.  Nor  could  he  be  sure  that 
this  was  not  to  be  the  result.  Kate  might  have  the 
address,  and  she  might  send  the  warning,  and  Jimmy 
might  come  as  fast  as  steam  could  carry  him,  and 
yet — not  be  in  time. 

When  he  had  reached  the  stairhead  he  was  so 
far  persuaded  by  the  uncertainties  of  the  situation 
that  he  determined  not  to  give  the  message  to  Kate 
just  yet.  To  satisfy  Casey  and  to  give  himself  time 
to  think  the  whole  thing  over,  he  waited  for  a  minute 
in  the  back  of  the  hall,  then  retraced  his  steps  swiftly 
to  the  street  door. 

"  Well,'s  't  all  roight?  "  demanded  Casey.  "  Did 
y' till  her?" 

"  It's  all   right,"   returned   Marcus  reassuringly. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  385 

He  compelled  a  cheerful  smile.    "  Mr.  Devlin  '11  get 
th'  message." 

Casey's  face  shone  with  relief  and  new  confidence. 
He  said  "  Good  night,"  and  was  trudging  up  the 
street. 

Marcus  closed  the  door,  and  stood  in  the  hallway 
for  several  minutes,  thinking.  So  far  he  seemed  to 
have  the  thing  entirely  in  his  own  hands.  Kate  was 
asleep,  and  had  heard  nothing.  He  judged  rightly 
that  Casey  would  say  nothing  of  what  he  had  done 
to  anyone  or  take  any  action  which  would  lead  to  the 
disclosure  of  his  discovery  until  he  had  seen  Jimmy. 
Walsh  and  his  confederates,  on  their  side,  would 
naturally  guard  the  secret  as  long  as  it  was  possible 
to  do  so.  Marcus  argued,  that  he,  therefore,  had  at 
least  twenty-four  hours  in  which  to  consider  the 
question  as  it  affected  him.  Twenty-four  hours  in 
which  to  decide  whether  his  silence  and  inaction 
or  his  information  was  likely  to  be  worth  more  to 
him.  He  went  up  stairs,  and,  in  the  sitting  room, 
thought  it  all  out. 

He  was  not  surprised  to  learn  that  Jimmy  had 
told  Kate  of  his  whereabouts,  and,  he  was  convinced 
that  he  had  only  to  give  her  the  message  which 
Casey  had  brought  to  fetch  Jimmy  to  the  city  in  the 
shortest  possible  time.  The  result  of  this  would  be 
to  precipitate  a  battle  between  Jimmy  and  Walsh  and 
the  Committee  of  Fifty.  Marcus  knew  enough  of 
the  political  situation  to.be  sure  that  the  outcome  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  386 

such  a  fight  would  be  doubtful  at  best.  Indeed,  he 
was  not  able  to  see  how  Jimmy,  at  this  late  hour, 
could  win  a  victory.  From  his  point  of  view  his 
best  chance,  therefore,  seemed  to  lie  in  making  a 
bargain  with  Walsh.  This  treachery  was  not  likely 
to  do  him  any  injury  with  Jimmy;  for  his  hold  on 
the  latter  was  not  affected  by  hate  or  esteem.  It 
would  only  be  invalidated  by  Jimmy's  defeat.  He 
came  to  the  conclusion  that,  all  in  all,  it  would  be 
wise  to  prepare  against  such  a  catastrophe.  To  that 
end  he  said  nothing  to  Kate,  and  went  to  bed,  deter 
mined  to  see  Walsh  the  next  day. 

It  was  eight  o'clock  on  the  following  morning 
when  he  rang  the  bell  at  Walsh's  comfortable  home, 
and  was  shown  into  the  parlor.  Walsh  was  break 
fasting,  and  Marcus  had  to  wait  fifteen  minutes. 

Walsh  lived  as  he  dressed,  and  for  much  the  same 
reasons.  He  was  a  married  man,  but  his  wife  was 
strictly  an  external  of  his  life.  She  represented  him 
socially  with  a  certain  set  whom  he  led  politically 
within  party  lines.  His  residence  was  in  keeping 
with  this  relation  and  its  requirements.  To  Marcus  it 
seemed  luxurious  in  a  degree.  The  room  in  which  he 
sat,  with  its  filmy  curtains,  cool  matting  and  artistic 
furniture  and  decorations,  appealed  to  his  fondness 
for  ease  and  good  things.  He  contrasted  it  with  his 
own  house,  and  was  disgusted.  He  recalled  the  bare 
rooms  with  which  Jimmy  was  content,  and  was  the 
more  impressed  with  the  qualities  which  enabled 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  387 

Walsh  to  desire  and  obtain  for  himself  the  things 
which  here  surrounded  him.  He  was  confirmed  in 
the  opinion  that  he  had  done  well  in  coming  to 
Walsh.  Such  a  man  was  much  more  to  his  taste 
than  Jimmy  with  his  scorn  of  luxury  and  plain  dress 
and  habits. 

He  had  got  so  far  in  a  train  of  thought  which 
was  pleasing,  if  somewhat  lacking  in  coherency, 
when  Walsh  walked  into  the  room,  and  said  in  a 
voice  that  brought  his  visitor  rudely  into  the  present, 
"  You  wanted  to  see  me  ?  " 

"Yes,"  answered  Marcus;  "I  came  to — to  ask 
your  advice." 

"What  about?"  Walsh  knew  Marcus  slightly, 
and  did  not  care  to  know  him  better.  Marcus  was  a 
parasite,  and  parasites  were  of  little  use,  very  annoy 
ing,  and  very  plenty. 

"  It's  a  question  of  politics.  I've  found  out  some 
thing  that  I  want " 

"To  sell?" 

"  Perhaps." 

Walsh  regarded  his  caller  more  closely.  Marcus 
was  Jimmy's  particular  parasite,  he  remembered.  It 
might  not  be  well  to  drive  him  away  until  he  had 
exhibited  his  wares.  A  half  hour  might  be  given  to 
the  task  of  examining  these.  He  changed  his  tone 
accordingly.  "  Well,  maybe,  you've  come  to  th' 
right  place,"  he  said.  "  Will  you  walk  back 
here?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  388 

He  took  Marcus  into  a  small  library,  and  they 
sat  down, — the  spider  and  the  fly.  And,  in  ten  min 
utes,  Marcus  was  sucked  dry  of  all  his  information, 
and  Walsh,  who  had  formed  his  plan,  was  regarding 
him  with  a  pitying  smile. 

Marcus  twisted  on  his  chair  and  moved  his  feet. 
Walsh's  amusement  worried  him.  Then  it  made 
him  angry.  "  What's  th'  matter  anyway?"  he 
asked. 

"  Nothing — except — I'm  sorry  for  you." 

"  Sorry  for — me?   What  do  you  mean?" 

"  I  mean,"  said  Walsh  in  a  dry  tone;  "  that  you've 
been  made  a  fool  of.  Jimmy's  made  use  of  you  in  a 
clever  way.  I  tell  you  this  because  it  can  do  no 
harm — now.  But  I'm  sorry  for  you." 

"  How — how  have  I  been  fooled?  "  All  of  Mar 
cus's  ideas  were  upside  down. 

"  You've  been  fooled  with  a  cock-and-bull  story 
about — a  conspiracy,  I  think  you  said.  You  tell  me 
that  I'm  at  the  head  of  it.  Now,  that's  sheer  non 
sense.  Think  a  moment !  Think  of  how  close  Jimmy 
and  Showell  and  I  are !  Think  of  the  fact  that  this 
fight  is  a  fight  made  by  reformers !  Think  of  all 
those  things,  and  you'll  understand  what  absurd  talk 
you've  listened  to.  Whoever  told  yon  this  yarn,  spun 
it  out  of  the  rumors  that  have  been  on  the  streets 
for  days.  I've  heard  them  myself.  They  amount 
to  nothing.  For  that  matter,  I  mentioned  them 
in  a  letter  I  sent  to  Jimmy  yesterday.  I  expect  he's 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  389 

laughing  at  them  now.  And  that's  all  they  are  worth 
—a  laugh." 

"What's  that  got  to  do  with  rne?  Where  do  I 
come  in?  " 

"  Right  here,  though  you'll  know  it  soon  enough 
— when  Jimmy  comes  back.  Th'  fact  is,  Doran — 
you're  an  impossibility  as  a  Councilman.  Jimmy 
and  th'  rest  of  us  recognized  that  from  th'  beginning, 
though  it's  due  Jimmy  to  say  that  he  tried  to  do 
what  you  wanted.  It  was  your  name  that  started 
that  row  at  the  Colonial  Club." 

In  a  flash  Marcus  saw  what  he  thought  was  the 
truth.  He  knew  that  the  report  of  his  prospective 
nomination  had  been  the  cause  of  the  blow  struck  by 
Jimmy;  he  guessed  at  a  great  deal  more  which 
Walsh's  explanation  had  not  recounted.  "  So — so 
Jimmy  threw  me  overboard?  "  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 
"He  didn't  dare  to  tell  me!" 

"  Exactly,"  answered  Walsh.  "  It  really  couldn't 
be  helped.  There's  no  use  of  acting  ugly  about  it." 

"Isn't  there  ?  I'll  show  him  if  there  isn't !  "  Mar 
cus's  voice  rose  viciously.  "  I'll  show  him  this  very 
day!"  he  added. 

"  How  ?  "  asked  Walsh,  his  tones  indicating  that 
the  threat  was  amusing.  He  was  interested  in 
this  unexpected  development.  It  promised  to  undo 
the  good  work  which  his  lies  had  just  accomplished. 
For,  if  Marcus  communicated  with  Jimmy  at  all,  he 
would  bring  him  to  the  city. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  390 

"  Never  mind  how,"  returned  Marcus.  "  I  know 
how  to  handle  Jimmy.  He'll  be  dead  sure  of  that 
when  he  gets  my  telegram  this  afternoon." 

"Now,  look  here!"  said  Walsh  sympathetically; 
"  I  know  how  you  must  feel.  It  is  rough.  Between 
you  and  me,  Jimmy  didn't  act  by  you  exactly  as  he 
should;  I  told  him  that  before  he  left.  I  don't  won 
der  that  you're  sore.  But  what's  th'  use  of  kicking 
to  him?  You  can't  make  him  do  anything — now." 

"  Can't  I  ?  Well,  I  guess  I  can !  I've  got  Devlin 
where  I  want  him.  I  can  make  him  give  me  that 
nomination,  and  I  will." 

Walsh  would  have  liked  to  find  out  what  it  was 
that  made  Marcus  so  sure;  but  he  did  not  want  to 
excite  suspicions;  besides,  he  doubted  if  Marcus 
would  tell  at  this  time.  It  served  his  purpose  if 
Marcus  did  as  he  wanted  him  to  do.  "  Well,  I 
can't  stop  you,"  he  said.  "  Nor  do  I  blame  you, 
altogether.  But,  if  you  want  my  opinion,  you'll  keep 
quiet  for  a  while.  You'll  cut  off  your  own  head, 
maybe,  if  you  don't." 

"  I  don't  see  it." 

"  You  will ;  for  you'll  cripple  Jimmy." 

Marcus  grinned.  "  That's  just  what  I'm  after 
now,"  he  replied. 

"  But,  you've  forgotten,  that,  when  you  cripple 
Jimmy,  you  lose  a  lot  yourself.  It's  this  way.  You 
send  word  to  Jimmy,  we'll  say,  that,  unless  he  comes 
home  and  puts  your  name  up  for  Councilman,  you'll 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  391 

— well,  you'll  do  whatever  it  is  that  he  don't  want 
you  to  do.  So  he  comes  up,  and — nominates  you. 
What's  th'  result?  You're  defeated;  for,  I  tell  you, 
neither  he  nor  any  one  else  can  force  your  election 
this  time.  It  might  even  be  that  th'  attempt  would 
knock  him  out;  stranger  things  have  happened.  It 
was  only  by  dropping  you  that  he  held  onto  a  big  vote 
in  your  ward  that  he  needed  badly.  And  now  what 
do  you  gain?  Nothing,  that  I  can  see.  But  what 
do  you  lose?  A  great  deal.  For  Jimmy  can't  give 
you  th'  things  you  may  want  in  th'  future,  if  he 
hasn't  got  them  to  give." 

The  argument  was  not  unfamiliar  to  Marcus,  and 
in  such  cogent  terms  appealed  to  him  forcibly.  It 
seemed  to  him  to  confirm  the  statement  that  Walsh 
and  Showell  remained  faithful  to  Jimmy.  Walsh, 
as  an  ally  of  Jimmy,  would  be  anxious,  for  purely 
selfish  reasons,  if  for  nothing  else,  to  serve  Jimmy's 
interests. 

But,  if  the  argument  tended  to  convince  Marcus 
that  the  story  of  a  conspiracy  was  a  canard  and 
that  he  was  the  one  who  had  been  betrayed,  it 
made  it  no  easier  for  him  to  swallow  his  disappoint 
ment  and  forego  his  threatened  revenge. 

Walsh  cajoled,  flattered  and  reasoned  with  him 
for  half  an  hour  before  he  succeeded  in  persuading 
him  that  his  best  plan  was  to  say  nothing  to  Jimmy, 
and  to  wait. 

When  he  shook  hands  with  his  visitor  on  the  door- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  392 

step  and  turned  again  into  the  house,  Walsh's  lip 
curled  with  scorn;  but  he  was  satisfied  with  the 
way  in  which  he  had  handled  the  complication.  He 
believed  that  he  had  assured  himself  against  the  re 
call  of  Jimmy. 

And  this  was  thoroughly  desirable,  though  not 
essential  to  his  plans  and  those  of  his  confederates. 
The  conspiracy  against  Jimmy  had  now  advanced 
too  far,  he  believed,  to  be  defeated  in  open  fight.  In 
deed,  from  the  day  on  which  Walsh  and  Showell 
joined  hands  with  the  Committee  of  Fifty  the  issue 
became  questionable.  The  work  secretly  done  be 
tween  that  time  and  the  date  of  Jimmy's  departure 
had  brought  the  odds  in  favor  of  the  reformers  and 
their  co-laborers.  Every  day  that  Jimmy  remained 
away  from  the  city,  in  ignorance  of  the  truth,  in 
creased  the  handicap  against  him. 

Marcus  left  Walsh's  house  ripe  for  any  deed 
which  would  secure  for  him  what  he  had  been  told 
he  had  lost.  His  anger  waxed  as  he  pondered  on 
the  advice  which  Walsh  had  given  him,  and  real 
ized  that,  to  inflict  an  injury  on  Jimmy,  was  to 
hurt  his  own  case.  He  spent  the  remainder  of  the 
morning,  nursing  his  wrath  and  hunting  for  Con 
Murray.  He  had  to  tell  his  story  to  some  one. 

At  last  he  came  upon  Murray.  "  Con,"  he  said; 
"  do  you  know  what's  happened?  " 

"No,  what?" 

"  I've  been  played  for  a  '  sucker! ' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  393 

"  Who  did  it  ?  "  asked  Murray.  A  peculiar  ex 
pression,  partly  of  affected  concern,  partly  of  amuse 
ment  flitted  over  his  face. 

"  Jimmy !  "  said  Marcus.  "  He's  knocked  me  out 
— knocked  out  our  game !  " 

"What  game?  " 

"  Th'  only  one  I  know  of  is  putting  me  into  Coun 
cils.  You  were  going  to  get  some  of  th'  '  rake-offs/ 
I  don't  see  how  you  forget  so  easily." 

"  Oh,  that!  "  said  Murray  hastily.  "  I  hadn't  for 
got  that.  Only — I  didn't  know  you  could — a' 
heard." 

"What?" 

"  Tell  me  your  story  first ;  then  maybe,  mine 
won't  be  needed." 

Marcus,  once  started,  blurted  out  the  story  which 
Walsh  had  told  him.  At  the  end  he  was  cursing 
Jimmy,  and  demanding  what  his  companion  thought 
of  it. 

Murray  looked  the  astonishment  which  he  felt. 
He  was  surprised,  not  at  Marcus's  reference  to  the 
conspiracy,  but  at  the  tale  told  by  Walsh  of  Jimmy's 
betrayal  of  Marcus.  He  did  not  believe  that  Jimmy 
had  done  this.  The  mention  of  Walsh's  name 
showed  him  that  Marcus  had  purposely  been  misled. 

Without  compunction  he  said,  "  It's  so !  it's  so ! 
I  heard  that  he'd  done  y'  a  dirty  trick,  but  I  wasn't 
sure  of  it.  So  I  kept  my  mouth  shut.  It  won't  do 
no  good  t'  go  round  now,  slinging  hard  words, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  394 

either.  It's  done.  We've  been  played;  an'  we've 
got  t'  take  our  medicine  like  little  men.  We'll  have 
our  chance — later.  Jimmy  '11  have  some  stiff  lie  t'  tell 
y',  when  he  comes  back.  If  y'  do  as  I  would,  y'll 
pretend  t'  swallow  it,  too.  Then,  he  may  slip 
up." 

Marcus  burst  into  a  renewed  volley  of  curses. 
Murray  nodded  approval.  "  He's  all  that,"  he  said. 
Then  his  cunning  suggested  a  further  deception. 

"  Say,  look  here !  "  he  went  on  in  lowered  voice. 
"  I  think  Jimmy's  up  against  it  good  and  hard,  if  y' 
want  t'  know  what  I  think.  I  don't  believe  he'll 
come  out  on  top  this  time.  He  wouldn't  a'  got  rid 
of  you  if  he  hadn't  bin  afraid  of  somethin'  hap- 
penin." 

"  Do  you  think  they'll  down  him — in  th'  elec 
tion?"  asked  Marcus  startled. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  say  that.  But  I'd  be  ready  t'  play 
my  own  game,  whatever  turns  up.  I'd  be  ready  t' 
stand  in  with  th'  fellow  that  wins.  Your  pull  on 
Jimmy  won't  do  you  no  good,  if  he's  knocked  out. 
I'd  be  on  th'  ground  t'  sell  whatever  I  had — t'  th' 
other  side, — when  th'  time  comes." 

Many  drinks  had  helped  to  befog  Marcus's  brain 
and  inflame  his  resentment.  Murray  saw  that  his 
somewhat  dangerous  words  had  not  done  harm. 
When  he  left  Marcus,  he  believed  that  he  had  pro 
moted  the  plot  to  keep  Jimmy  in  ignorance  of  what 
was  going  on. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  395 

But  two  things  happened  within  a  few  hours  to  up 
set  these  plans. 

Marcus,  at  twelve  o'clock  that  night,  had  suc 
ceeded  in  inserting  his  latch-key  into  the  front  door 
and  was  in  the  act  of  entering,  when  a  man  stepped 
from  the  shadow  of  the  house  wall,  and  spoke  to  him. 

It  was  Mat  Casey. 

"Mishter  Doran,"  he  said;  "did  y'  sind  that 
wurrurd  t'  Mishter  Divilin  ?  " 

Marcus  was  in  a  condition  in  which  his  wits  did 
not  serve  him  faithfully.  His  single  fixed  idea  was 
that  the  message  should  not  go  to  Jimmy.  Want 
ing  only  to  be  rid  of  Casey,  he  said,  "  Yes,  it's  gone 
— long  ago."  He  tried  to  pass  into  the  house. 

But  Casey  was  of  no  mind  to  be  shut  out.  All  day 
he  had  looked  for  Jimmy  in  the  places  where  he 
should  be  found  if  in  the  city,  and  had  not  found 
him ;  nor  had  he  heard  from  him.  He  did  not  trust 
Marcus,  and  he  was  bent  on  having  the  truth  this 
time.  "  An',  'f  y'  sint  th'  missage,  why  ain't  Mishter 
Divilin  here?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  don't  know.  That's  his  business."  returned 
Marcus.  "  I  can't  stop  here.  Good  night !  " 

He  tried  to  push  past  Casey  who  had  slid  around 
in  front  of  him;  but  the  little  Irishman  stood  his 
ground.  His  suspicions  were  wide  awake;  he  was 
sure  now  that  the  message  had  not  been  sent.  "  Y' 
don't  go  in,"  he  said;  "till  Oi  know  'f  'y  gave  th' 
wurrurd  t'  Mrs.  Doran." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  396 

Marcus's  temper  got  away  with  him.  He  gave 
Casey  a  hard  push.  Casey  staggered,  and  fell  against 
the  door-frame  with  a  crash  that  echoed  through  the 
house.  It  brought  Kate  to  the  stairhead. 

But,  by  that  time,  she  heard  the  sounds  of  a 
struggle  below  in  the  hallway;  and  she  stood  where 
she  was,  silent,  certain  that  it  was  a  row,  the  cul 
mination  of  one  of  Marcus's  debauches;  uncertain 
what  to  do. 

In  the  lower  hallway  Marcus  Doran  was  getting 
the  first  sound  thrashing  as  a  man  which  his  coward 
ice  had  not  enabled  him  to  escape.  Casey's  fighting 
blood  was  up  with  that  push.  He  was  on  his  feet  in 
an  instant,  and  pinned  Marcus  against  the  wall. 
With  his  free  hand  he  drummed  on  the  latter's  face 
as  often  as  he  could  hit  the  mark  in  the  dim  light, 
while  he  told  Marcus  what  he  thought  of  him. 

"  Y're  a  durty  cur !  "  he  cried  .  "  An'  a  liar  thrown 
in!  Y'  sint  no  missage  t'  Jimmy!  Y'  tould  him 
nothin'  av  what  's  goin'  on  b'hint  his  back !  Y'  lift 
him  t'  think  thet  Walsh  an'  Showell  wuz  actin' 
sthraight,  whin  it's  sthickin'  a  knoife  in  him  they  're 
at!  Thin,  take  thet  fur  not  givin'  Mrs.  Doran  th' 
wurrurd  Oi  brought  y' !  An'  thet  fur  th'  loie  y' 
sphoke  whin  y'  said  y'  tould  her !  An'  thet  fur  not 
sindin'  th?  missage  t'  Jimmy !  An'  thet  fur  Jimmy's 
sake!  An'  thet  fur  moine;  An'  thet  fur  Mrs. 
Doran's !  " 

Each  denunciation  Casey  punctuated  with  his  fist. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  397 

Marcus  struck  out  wildly  and  to  small  account. 
Casey  held  him  fast  against  the  wall,  and  was  merci 
less. 

Marcus  began  to  bellow  for  help,  and  tried  to 
shield  his  face  with  his  arms.  Only  then  did  his 
assailant  desist.  He  released  his  clasp  on  Marcus's 
throat.  Marcus  dropped  to  the  floor,  moaning. 

Casey  stood  over  him  for  a  moment,  almost  re 
gretting  the  thrashing  he  had  given;  for  now  he 
must  go,  and  the  message  was  still  undelivered.  He 
wheeled,  with  a  snort,  and  ran  from  the  house. 

And,  then,  Kate  hurried  down  stairs.  Alarm, 
disgust  and  indignation  had  succeeded  one  another 
in  her  breast  as  she  heard  Marcus's  cries,  the  thud  of 
blows  and  the  accusations.  These  last  were  a  revela 
tion  that  tied  her  tongue  and  held  her  fast,  her  ears 
strained,  her  face  white  and  fearful.  She  was  sure 
that  they  were  true,  though  she  did  not  know  the 
man  who  uttered  them.  Jimmy's  absence,  Marcus's 
character  corroborated  them.  So  it  was  that,  when 
she  should  have  called  out  and,  perhaps,  have  saved 
Marcus  from  that  beating,  she  could  do  no  more 
than  listen  and  try  to  pierce  the  darkness  which  hid 
the  fighting  men.  Casey's  departing  footsteps 
brought  sharply  to  her  mind  the  fact  that  Marcus 
lay  on  the  floor  below,  and  that  her  ministrations 
were  needed. 

But  Marcus,  she  found  was  not  badly  hurt.  His 
bloody  face  was  a  miserable  sight,  but  the  curses  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  398 

threats  of  a  terrible  revenge  on  Casey  with  which  he 
interlarded  his  groans,  assured  Kate  that  her  sym 
pathy  was  largely  wasted  on  him. 

She  helped  him  into  the  parlor  and  on  the  lounge 
there,  then  hurriedly  dressed  and,  telling  him  she 
would  fetch  a  doctor,  hastened  from  the  house. 

A  block  away  was  a  doctor's  office.  She  notified 
the  physician  and  sped  back.  But,  at  the  corner,  she 
turned,  walked  a  short  distance,  and  halted  in  front 
of  a  glass  window  which  bore,  in  white  letters: 
"  Western  Union  Telegraph  Office." 

She  brought  from  her  pocket  a  slip  of  paper  with 
a  few  words  pencilled  on  it.  Then  she  went  into  the 
office,  and  wrote  a  message. 

"  J.  H.  Smith— Bay  Side  Hotel— Sea  Cliff!  "  read 
the  operator  from  the  yellow  blank. 

Kate  nodded,  and  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  as  she  left 
the  office. 


CHAPTER  XXI  399 

JH.  SMITH,  a  stocky,  little  figure,  clad  in 
creased  crash  trousers,  flannel  shirt  and  a 
battered  straw  hat,  clambered  from  Capt'n 
Sam's  cat-boat  to  the  worm-eaten  wharf  at  the 
Fish  House,  Sea  Cliff,  and  reached  down  for  the 
basket  in  which,  bedded  on  cool  sea-weed,  lay  five 
blue  fish. 

"  Ain't  they  beauties?  "  he  said  as  he  gazed  on  the 
trophies  of  the  morning's  fishing. 

"  Purty  tol'able  fish,"  agreed  Capt'n  Sam,  the 
leather-faced,  gaunt  Jersey  man.  "  But  not  much  fur 
six  hours  a  fishin',"  he  went  on.  "  Pears  t'  me,  Mr. 
Smith  y'  's  jess  plumb  crazy  'bout  loafin'  'round  a 
boat,  an'  trailin'  a  line.  Y'r  face  certainly  is  a  sight, 
too.  Red  's  a  beet.  Th'  skin  fairly  bilin  where  'tain't 
peelin'  off." 

J.  H.  Smith  pushed  back  his  hat.  "  What's  th' 
good  of  leavin'  th'  city  if  you  mind  such  things  ?  " 
he  said. 

"  What's  thj  good  a  leavin'  th'  city  't  all?  "  asked 
Capt'n  Sam.  "  'F  I  lived  there,  where  there's  a  lot 
goin'  on  all  th'  time,  y'  bet  I  wouldn't  come  down 
here." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  .  400 

J.  H.  Smith  smiled,  and  started  to  reply;  but  the 
other  continued :  "  Y'  telled  me,  when  y'  fust  come 
down,  thet  this  wuz  y'r  holiday,  an'  y'  wuz  goin'  t' 
hev  a  good  time.  What  a  y'  bin  doin'  ?  Gettin'  up 
every  mornin'  at  six,  sometimes  five,  an'  goin'  a 
fishin.'  " 

"  Fishing's  th'  greatest  sport  there  is." 

"  Mebbe  't  is.  I  call 't  workin'.  You'm  certainly  a 
piece  a  work  y'rself  when  y'  get  fast  t'  one.  Some 
times  I  think  y'  aint  nothin'  but  a  boy  growed  up  an' 
got  a  sprinklin'  a  gray  hairs." 

"  There's  worse  things  than  bein'  a  boy,  ain't 
there?"  J.  H.  Smith  replied. 

Capt'n  Sam  went  on,  oblivious  to  the  query, 
"  Yes,  y'  certainly  ain't  no  better  'n  a  boy,  lots  a 
times  I  think  y'  ain't  nothin'  but  a  boy  growed  up  an' 
got  pulled  overboard  by  thet  blue  fish.  I  swear  t' 
man,  I  never  seed  such  a  sight.  You  a  yellin'  t' 
me  t'  pull  in  th'  fish  an'  not  t'  mind  you;  an'  a 
spoutin'  water  an'  slappin'  with  y'r  hands  like  as  y'd 
drown  fur  th'  durned  fool  y'  wuz,  refusin'  t'  ketch 
holt  a  th'  pole  I  poked  at  y'." 

"  But  we  got  th'  fish,  Capt'n  Sam,  an'  it  was  a 
corker." 

"  Huh !  "  ejaculated  the  Jerseyman,  shifting  his 
quid  of  tobacco.  "  Y'd  thought 't  wuz  a  corker,  as  y' 
call  't,  'f  y'd  seed  th'  bottom,  I  reckon.  Y're  most 
gone  daffy  over  y'r  fishin',  anyway.  When  y'  ain't  a 
hangin'  yer  legs  over  th'  starn'  with  a  line,  y're  lyin' 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  401 

on  y'r  back  on  deck  with  y'r  hat  over  y'r  eyes,  soakin' 
in  th'  sun.   That's  what  you  call  hevin'  a  good  time !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  J.  H.  Smith;  "  I  call  that  a  very  good 
time.  Besides,  there's  lots  to  see.  It's  piles  of  fun, 
watchin  th'  gulls  and  beach-birds,  teetering  along  on 
th'  sand,  and  th'  clouds  and  th'  water.  And  it's 
mighty  comfortable  to  come  back  in  th'  evenings, 
and  sit  on  th'  porch  and  just — loaf." 

"Sho!"  exclaimed  Capt'n  Sam.  "An'  y'  call 
thet  fun?  Say,  now  straight,  y're  a  queer  feller." 

"Am  I?" 

"  Y'  certainly  are.  I  wisht  I  wuz  livin'  in  th' 
city.  I'd  show  y'  how  t'  have  a  good  time.  Y'  bet, 
I'd  hev  somethin'  more  excitin'  t'  do  'n  goin'  over 
t'  th'  village  a  evenin's,  er  up  t'  th'  hotel.  There's 
nothin'  going'  on  here'bouts." 

"  There's  politics !  They  say  you've  got  a  hot 
fight  on.  Ain't  politics  exciting  ?" 

Unwittingly  J.  H.  Smith  had  unbarred  the  flood 
gates  of  Capt'n  Sam's  scorn.  "  Politics !  "  he  ex 
ploded.  "  I'd  be  purty  hard  up,  I  guess,  b'fore  1 
stuck  my  nose  into  them.  A  pol'tician  's  a  good  bit 
like  a  skunk.  Looks  inn'cent  'nough  till  y'  tackle 
him.  Everybody  wants  t'  kick  him,  an'  nobody 
dassent." 

J.  H.  Smith  roared.  "  You  must  have  had  a  hard 
time  with  th'  politicians  you  met." 

"  Never  met  one — thet  is  a  big  one,"  his  com 
panion  replied.  "An'  I  don't  want  t'.  But  I've 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  402 

read  pieces  'bout  'em  in  th'  newspapers,  an'  thet  wuz 
'nough.  I  ain't  got  no  time  fur  'em.  They're  a  lot 
a  bad  eggs !  They's  not  one  on  'em  as  ever  did  a  solid 
day's  work,  I  reckon.  Jess  get  together,  an'  fix  things 
so  as  other  folks  'II  do  th'  work  fur  'em,  an'  smoke 
seegars,  an'  drink  rum,  an'  wear  plug-hats,  an'  make 
jokes  'bout  th'  fools  thet's  round  'em.  Oh,  they  ain't 
no  blinkers  on  this  hoss!  I  know  what  pol'ticians 
's  like." 

"  I  should  think  you  did!  "  J.  H.  Smith  remarked. 
Then,  after  a  pause,  "  Say,  Capt'n  Sam,  what  kind 
of  a  politician  do  you  think  I'd  make?  " 

"You!  You!"  Capt'n  Sam  chuckled.  "Now, 
thet's  good !  You  a  pol'tician  ?  I'd  like  t'  see  you  a 
tryin'  t'  be  a  pol'tician,  I  swear  t'  man!  I'd  like  t' 
see  y'.  Say,  don't  y'  ever  get  no  sech  idea  into  y'r 
head.  'F  y'  do,  I'll — I'll — well,  I'll  jess  come  up 
t'  y'  an'  I'll  say,  '  Blue  fish  's  runnin',  Mr.  Smith ! ' 
Thet'll  be  'nough.  Y'  '11  drop  pol'ticianing  right 
off.  You  a  pol'tician!  Why,  you'd  hev  'bout  's 
much  show  agin  them  fellers  as  a  mack'rel  agin  a 
shark." 

"  I'm  glad  you  told  me,"  said  J.  H.  Smith.  The 
twinkle  in  the  blue  eyes  informed  the  Jerseyman  that 
he  was  not  offended.  "  Well,  I  got  to  be  going  on 
up  to  dinner,"  he  went  on.  "  I'll  see  you  to-mor 
row  morning — at  seven,  Capt'n  Sam." 

He  picked  up  the  basket  of  fish,  and  started  along 
the  sandy,  shell-strewn  road  which  wound  back 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  403 

among  the  salt  meadows  from  the  Fish  House  to  the 
Bay  Side  Hotel  on  the  ocean  front.  "  And  so  poli 
ticians  are  skunks !  And  I'd  have  no  more  show 
with  them  than  a  mackerel !  "  he  repeated  to  himself. 
He  seemed  to  relish  the  reflection. 

He  was  still  in  enjoyment  of  it  when  he  stepped 
on  the  porch  of  the  Bay  Side  Hotel,  and  put  down 
the  basket.  But  his  smile  faded  away  as  a  tall,  thin 
woman  came  to  the  door,  and  extended  a  yellow 
envelope.  "  Came  this  afternoon !  Th'  boys  brought 
it  over  with  th'  mail,"  she  explained. 

"  Much  obliged,"  he  returned.  "  I  guess,  it  ain't 
very  important.  Here's  some  fish.  I'll  come  right 
in  to  dinner." 

He  took  the  yellow  envelope,  and  walked  to  the 
end  of  the  porch.  A  moment  he  stood,  his  gaze 
wandering  over  the  crescent  of  the  beach  which 
curved  until  its  line  was  lost  in  the  soft  haze;  over 
the  breakers,  tumbling  in,  laced  with  foam ;  over  the 
sparkling  water  beyond.  He  stepped  into  the  flood 
of  clear  sunlight  which  bathed  sea  and  land,  and 
took  a  great  draught  of  salt  air,  and  stretched  his 
arms. 

"  Awful  hard  luck  to  leave  it !  "  he  said  in  an 
undertone. 

Then  he  gave  himself  a  shake,  and  tore  open  the 
envelope.  A  glance  took  in  the  words  written  on  the 
yellow  blank  within,  but  not  their  full  significance. 
He  looked  at  them  again,  and  told  himself  that  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  404 

telegraph  operator  had  made  a  bad  mistake.  Next 
that  Kate's  fears  had  run  away  with  her  judgment. 
Then,  that  the  telegram  was  intended  as  a  joke.  But 
he  read  it  again  and  again,  and  began  to  recall  things 
which  made  him  believe  in  the  message. 

No  one  would  dare  to  joke  in  this  way;  Kate  was 
the  only  one  who  had  his  address — Kate  was  clear 
headed  and  reliant ;  Walsh  was  not  without  a  motive ; 
last  of  all,  "  Jimmy  "  had  become  "  J.  H.  Smith," 
and,  for  a  week,  had  been  miles  away  from  the  city. 
Yes,  many  things  might  have  happened  in  this 
"  Jimmy's"  absence ! 

The  facts  were  probably  about  as  they  were  out 
lined  on  the  sheet  of  yellow  paper. 

Suddenly,  the  sea-line  seemed  to  be  wavering;  and 
Jimmy — for  "  J.  H.  Smith  "  had  been  swept  from 
existence  by  the  telegram — put  a  hand  on  the  porch 
post.  His  forehead  was  wet  and  cold,  but  only  for 
the  briefest  instant.  The  next,  he  had  folded  the 
despatch  neatly,  put  it  into  his  pocket,  and  was  walk 
ing  the  length  of  the  porch  with  short,  quick  strides. 
His  hands  had  closed  tightly,  his  lips  were  pressed 
together,  his  chin  was  thrust  a  little  forward.  Up 
in  the  city  they  would  have  recognized  these'  as 
signals  not, to  be  misunderstood. 

Three  times  Jirnmy  paced  the  porch,  then  walked 
into  the  house.  He  called  to  the  landlady.  "  I'll 
leave  in  ten  minutes !  I  must  go  to  th'  city !  Have 
th'  wagon  ready  for  me!  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  405 

"  Lord  save  us,  Mr.  Smith !  Y'  weren't  goin' 
for  a  week,  y'  said  ?  Y'r  dinner  ?  " 

"  I'll  leave  in  ten  minutes.  There's  a  train  from 
Plainville  at  one  forty-five.  Remember — th'  wagon 
and  my  bill !  "  He  turned  and  was  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs  before  the  woman  could  reply. 

At  seventeen  minutes  of  two  o'clock  he  stepped 
into  the  railroad  telegraph  office  at  Plainville,  and 
rapidly  wrote  a  dispatch.  Five  minutes  later,  in  a 
seat  in  the  smoking  car  of  the  one  forty-five  train, 
he  lighted  a  cigar,  and  seemed  to  find  in  reading 
the  telegram  to  J.  H.  Smith  food  for  much  cogita 
tion. 

But,  the  moment  the  train  came  to  a  stop  in  his 
city,  his  mood  of  rumination  dropped  from  him 
like  a  cloak.  He  darted  into  a  cab,  and  gave  the 
driver  an  address  and  an  order  to  hurry.  In  ten 
minutes  he  was  alighting  at  the  side  door  of  a  small 
building  over  whose  wicker-door  at  the  front  swung 
a  gilt  sign  adorned  with  the  name  of  Matthew  Casey. 

Mat  opened  the  door,  and  had  him  inside  in  a  jiffy. 
"  As  I  hope  t'  see  hivin !  I'm  glad  y've  come,"  he 
exclaimed.  "  Fur  there's  hill  t'  pay,  an'  thet's  no 
loie." 

Jimmy  grasped  the  Irishman's  hand.  "  Come  on, 
and  be  quick !  "  he  said.  "  Th'  parlor  will  do.  Tell 
them  to  let  nobody  in.  I  want  to  know  everything 
first,  and  nobody  to  know  I'm  here." 

Mat  led  the  way  into  the  little  front  room,  pulled 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  406 

down  the  blinds,  and  locked  the  door.  "  Mrs. 
Casey's  on  guyard,"  he  said.  "  'T  's  over  her  did 
body  they  must  come  t'  see  y'.  An',  now,  I'll  till  y' 
all  thet  I  know." 

Then  he  told  of  the  rumors  he  had  heard,  of 
the  meeting  in  Showell's  office,  and  of  how  he  had 
tried  to  get  a  message  to  Mrs.  Doran.  Then  he 
went  on,  with  an  attempt  at  self  restraint  which  was 
so  palpable  that  a  fleeting  smile  hovered  on  Jimmy's 
face; 

"  But  th'  sicond  toime  Oi  saw  Mishter  Doran  there 
wuz  an  onplisant  occurrence.  'T  came  av  his  on- 
handiness  on  his  feet.  As  he  wuz  not  prissin  me  wid 
invitations  t'  see  Mrs.  Doran,  which  same  Oi  wuz 
decided  on, — misdoubting  thet  his  mimory  had 
failed  him  r'gardin'  th'  delivery  av  th'  missage  t' 
her — Oi  tried,  purlite  loike,  t'  intro juice  mesilf  'nt' 
th'  house.  Thin,  he  praceedin'  me  an'  Oi  followin', 
some  way  he  gave  me  a  shove.  'T's  not  a  blow  Oi 
will  call  't,  fur  shame  av  th'  results;  but  't's  none 
th'  less  thrue,  thet  Oi  fill  against  th'  dure,  an',  git- 
tin'  up,  grabbed  a  holt  av  somethin',  t'  stiddy  mesilf, 
which,  later,  Oi  discovered  wuz  his  neck.  So,  in 
th'  dark,  neyther  wan  av  us  bein'  shure  av  where  th' 
other  wuz,  we  b'gun  t'  feel  wid  our  hands.  An'  mine 
wuz  shut  loike — fur  fear  av  brakin  me  finger  nails. 
'T  wuz  be  th'  same  token  thet  Oi  begin  t'  push  out  wid 
me  hand  agin  an'  agin — quite  gintle-loike,  y'll  under- 
sthand,  an'  he  begun  t'  holler,  an'  push  out  wid  his 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  407 

hand  in  th'  same  way — me  a  holdin'  ont'  his  neck 
all  th'  toime,  y'e  see — forninst  his  fallin'  down,  an' 
hurtin'  hisself.  'T  wuz  will  Oi  did  th'  same,  too; 
for,  prisintly,  whin  Oi  pursaved  thet  his  intintion 
wuz  t'  show  me  thet  't  wuz  too  late  t'  be  comin'  in, 
Oi  let  go,  an',  sthraightway,  be  some  coinceedence,  he 
fill  on  th'  flure,  a  yellin'  an'  a  groanin'.  An',  thin, — 
an',  thin — Oi  come  away — seein'  me  pursasions  wuz 
av  no  avail  an'  me  intintions  misundersthood." 

Jimmy's  eyes  were  glistening.  He  found  no  fault 
with  Casey's  loquacity.  Even  his  anxiety  was  not 
proof  against  the  unction  which  underlay  those 
apologetic  words ;  and  he  registered  a  mental  vow  of 
indebtedness  to  the  Irishman.  But  time  was  press 
ing,  and  he  fell  to  questioning  Casey  upon  succeed 
ing  events. 

It  was  half  an  hour  later  that  Jimmy,  after  a 
silence  of  several  minutes,  said,  "  Well,  Mat,  it 
looks  as  if  they  had  us  this  time,  sure  enough!  I 
didn't  think  Showell  had  th'  nerve  to  do  this.  May 
be,  I  can  convince  him,  even  yet,  that  he  ought  to 
change  his  mind.  But  Walsh — ?  Well,  I  was  only 
a  year  or  so  out  on  him.  Now,  what  are  we  going 
to  do?" 

Casey's  face  was  a  network  of  wrinkles.  Then 
the  beginning  of  a  smile  whisked  them  away. 
"  There's  wan  thing  we  moight  do,"  he  replied. 
"  Retoire  frum  the  soight  av  an  ongrateful  public  t' 
th'  ase  an'  comfurts  av  privut  loife  ?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  408 

"  Which,"  returned  Jimmy;  "  is  th'  one  thing  we 
won't  do,  yet — eh?" 

Casey's  smile  widened. 

"You  gave  those  messages  I  telegraphed  you?" 
went  on  Jimmy. 

"  Oi've  not  caught  up  wid  mesilf  since  Oi  stharted 
home  frum  deeliverin'  th'  last  wan  av  thim." 

Just  then  Mrs.  Casey  rapped  on  the  door.  Casey 
opened  it  cautiously.  Mrs.  Casey  stepped  inside, 
and  closed  the  door.  "  O'Rourke  says,"  she  an 
nounced;  "  thet's  there's  a  gintl'min  in  th'  barroom 
thet  won't  drink  ixcipt  Mat  's  prisint." 

"  'T's  th'  first  av  th'  min  y'  bade  me  till  t'  come 
here,"  elucidated  Casey.  "  There's  a  back-dure,  frum 
th'  bar-room  in  here,  an'  I  tould  them  t'  prisint  thim- 
silves  at  th'  bar.  'T  would  avoid  publicity  wuz  me 
idea." 

Jimmy  nodded.  "  You  didn't  fail  me,  Mat,"  he 
said.  "  See  who  it  is,  and  bring  him  in  here  if  he's 
all  right." 

Casey  slipped  out,  and  shortly  returned  with  a 
bigmian  with  hawk  nose  and  searching  eyes.  Jimmy 
grasped  the  newcomer's  hand.  "  I'm  glad  you  came, 
right  off,  Morley,"  was  his  greeting.  "  Pratt  will 
be  here  soon,  I  expect,  and  Duane  and  Jones.  Then, 
we'll  be  able  to  come  to  an  understanding,  if  that's 
possible.  I  suppose,  you  know  where  I  stand?  " 

Morley,  who  was  one  of  four  men  who  practically 
controlled  the  minority  party's  policy  within  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  4°9 

city,  said  he  had  an  idea  of  the  situation.  "But 
not  a  clear  one,"  he  added.  "  Walsh  and  Showell 
didn't  think  they  needed  me  very  badly,  I  guess.  I 
learned  nothing  from  them.  Gans  did  make  some 
sort  of  offer,  but  it  wasn't  good  enough  for  us.  When 
I  told  him  so,  he  dropped  th'  subject  right  off.  They 
think  they're  strong  enough  without  our  cooperation. 
Maybe  they  are." 

"  Maybe,"  responded  Jimmy ;  but  his  tones  be 
tokened  no  dejection.  "  We'll  be  better  able  to  say 
that  after  we  talk  things  over." 

A  little  later  the  three  other  men  arrived. 

Exactly  what  went  on  in  Mrs.  Casey's  front  par 
lor  that  night  no  one  but  the  five  who  were  there 
ever  knew.  The  china  pig  which  squatted  on  the 
plush  lambrequin  held  many  confidential  conversa 
tions  across  the  mantel  with  the  china  cat.  But  both 
of  these  eavesdroppers  were  dumb  when  others  were 
by ;  and  so  was  the  stuffed  terrier  under  the  bell-glass 
at  the  end  of  the  room  which  regarded  the  proceed 
ings  with  a  wise  eye.  To  Mrs.  Casey  the  parlor 
ever  afterward  had  a  mysterious  atmosphere.  Casey 
himself  spoke  of  it  to  his  wife  as  "  the  Boss's  room." 
But  even  Casey  could  make  but  a  shrewd  guess  as 
to  the  precise  terms  of  the  preliminary  agreement, 
which,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  caused  Jimmy 
to  shake  hands  warmly  with  each  of  his  conferees,  as 
they  left  the  room  and  passed  out  into  the  gray  light 
beginning  to  bathe  the  sleeping  city. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  410 

Casey  had  been  called  into  the  conference  several 
times  to  tell  what  he  knew  of  doubtful  points.  For 
the  rest  of  the  time  he  sat  in  the  hallway,  and  held 
the  post  of  door  guard  which  Mrs.  Casey  surrendered 
at  midnight. 

When  the  door  had  closed  behind  the  last  of  his 
visitors  Jimmy  turned  on  Casey.  There  were  rings 
under  his  eyes  and  heavy  lines  about  his  mouth ;  his 
face  was  more  gray  than  ever  Casey  remembered  to 
have  seen  it.  But  his  spirits  were  high;  his  voice 
was  hearty  and  ringing.  It  fairly  made  Casey's 
heart  leap  by  its  confidence. 

"  Mat,  everything's  going  well ;  but  we  won't 
make  any  noise  about  it.  Th'  sign  over  your  saloon 
door  '11  be  all  th'  advertisement  of  my  whereabouts 
we'll  need  for  a  couple  of  days.  If  anyone  comes 
into  th'  bar-room,  and  will  drink  with  no  one  but 
me,  do  you  look  'em  over,  and  let  me  know.  If 
they're  safe,  you  can  bring  'em  in  here — through 
that  side  door.  This  room  is  where  I'll  do  business 
— on  th'  quiet." 

"  A  sort  av  spake-aisy  ?  "  suggested  Casey  with 
a  wink. 

And  a  "  speak-easy,"  in  one  sense,  the  little  room 
was  for  the  next  day  and  the  day  after  that.  Not  a 
great  many  found  their  way  to  it ;  but  none  of  those 
who  did  were  barred.  Casey's  swinging  sign  was 
to  be  read  only  by  the  initiated,  and  the  initiated  kept 
its  secrets  faithfully.  So  close-mouthed  were  they 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  411 

that,  two  days  after  Jimmy  had  arrived,  the  city  at 
large,  and  Walsh,  Showell  and  Cans  in  particular, 
heard  for  the  first  time  of  his  whereabouts.  The 
intelligence  was  conveyed  to  them  by  a  despatch 
printed  in  a  certain  newspaper  from  its  corre 
spondent  at  Plainville.  This  telegram  announced 
that  James  Devlin,  it  had  just  been  learned,  had 
been  spending  two  weeks  at  Sea  Cliff — a  forgotten, 
little  watering-place — and  would  return  to  his  home 
city  that  night,  his  holiday  being  over. 

The  next  morning,  sure  enough,  Jimmy  was  seen 
on  the  street.  He  was  sun-burned  and  smiling. 
Showell  purposely  kept  out  of  his  path.  Walsh  met 
him  early,  on  his  way  to  the  office. 

Wralsh's  intention  was  to  have  the  inevitable  clash 
over  with  at  once.  He  knew  that  nothing  was  to 
be  gained  now  by  a  few  hours  postponement  of  it. 
Furthermore,  while  he  had  no  qualms  for  what  he 
had  done,  he  felt  that  he  would  work  with  easier 
mind  when  he  and  Jimmy  faced  each  other  as  de 
clared  enemies.  An  encounter  with  the  Boss  was 
not,  at  any  time,  an  agreeable  thing  to  look  forward 
to.  So  he  braced  himself  for  a  collision  when  he  saw 
Jimmy  approaching. 

But  Jimmy  promptly  put  out  a  hand  and  beamed 
on  him.  Before  he  realized  it,  the  Judas  got  the 
best  of  Walsh,  and  he  was  saying  how  glad  he  was 
to  see  Jimmy  back  again. 

"  No  gladder  than  I  am  to  get  back,"  returned 


UNIVERSIT 

OF 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  412 

Jimmy.  "  I  was  having  a  great  time  away,  too. 
But,  somehow  I  got  to  worrying  th'  last  few  days.  I 
didn't  see  a  paper  while  I  was  away,  and  I  haven't 
read  'em,  or  seen  any  of  our  people  since  I  got  back. 
But — well,  I  got  to  thinking  of  Cans  down  there, 
and  wondering  if  he  and  th'  rest  was  up  to  anything, 
and  could — have  shut  your  eye  up."  He  winked  at 
this  tremendous  joke. 

Walsh  laughed  shortly;  and  Jimmy  hastened  to 
say,  "  Oh,  I  know,  you  can  look  out  for  yourself ! 
But  you  had  my  work  to  look  out  for  this  trip. 
That  must  have  made  it  pretty  hard.  I  tell  you,  I'll 
not  take  a  holiday  again  at  a  time  like  this.  It  isn't 
fair — to  you  and  Showell." 

His  voice  was  self-accusing;  his  face  apologetic. 
Walsh,  watching  him  from  the  tail  of  his  eye, 
marveled  that  he  had  ever  credited  him  with 
acuteness  beyond  the  rest  of  mankind.  Walsh  culti 
vated  a  taste  for  the  philosophy  of  the  cynic ;  there 
fore,  he  found  some  pleasure  in  recognizing,  in  this 
stage  of  the  covert  struggle  between  Jimmy  and 
himself,  a  clear  demonstration  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest. 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  he  said,  replying  to  Jimmy. 
"  Your  vacation  did  you  good.  You've  come  back, 
ready  to  do  double  work,  I  daresay.  You'll  make 
up  for  whatever  I've  done  for  you." 

"  You  bet  I  will,  old  man ! "  returned  Jimmy 
eagerly.  "  I  never  felt  in  such  shape  for  a  scrap  as 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  413 

I  do  now.     I'll  even  up  th'  score  as  quick  as  I 


can." 


Walsh  said  he'd  see  Jimmy  a  little  later ;  he  had  an 
engagement  to  keep  just  then.  He  hastened  to 
Showell.  "  You'll  think  you're  Jimmy's  long-lost 
brother,  when  he  sees  you,"  he  declared.  "  It's  really 
almost  a  kindness  to  knock  him  out,"  he  added,  half 
in  earnest.  "  He's  only  fit  for  retirement." 

Walsh  laughed  over  this  and  at  Showell's  sickly 
smile.  Showell  was  not  as  confident  as  he  might  be. 
But,  perhaps,  this  was  only  because  Showell  had  not 
seen  Jimmy  since  the  spell  of  credulity  fell  upon 
him;  and  was  sceptical.  Walsh  himself  knew  that 
Jimmy's  unsuspecting  composure  would  not  survive 
the  day.  When  Casey  had  told  him  of  the  message  he 
had  brought  to  Marcus,  or  some  one  called  his  at 
tention  to  the  rumors  of  double-dealing,  now  so  per 
sistent,  Jimmy  would  be  deceived  no  longer.  This 
deception  was  delightful  while  it  lasted;  the  out 
break  which  would  follow  the  awakening  would  be 
quite  different. 

Nor  was  Walsh  mistaken.  That  same  afternoon 
he  met  Jimmy  on  the  street,  and  the  explosion  which 
ensued  justified  all  expectations.  But,  for  all  that 
was  to  be  deduced  from  Jimmy's  words  and  manner 
at  the  time  of  the  encounter,  no  one  wrould  have 
guessed  that  his  discovery  of  the  treachery  was 
now  three  days  old.  He  informed  Walsh  of  what  he 
had  heard,  and  declared  that  he  could  not  believe  it. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  414 

Walsh  replied  that  all  he  had  related  was  true. 
He  had  broken  away.  "  Do  you  remember  an  elec 
tion  for  Sheriff,  a  few  years  ago  ?  "  he  added.  "  I 
haven't  forgotten  it,  if  you  have.  I  imagine,  we'll 
be  nearly  quits  on  that  score  when  this  campaign  is 
finished." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  I  do  remember  something 
of  th'  kind,"  replied  Jimmy.  "  But,  I  remember, 
too,  that  you  had  fair  warning  before  that  election 
that  you  wouldn't  be  elected.  /  never  lied  to  you; 
you  have  lied  to  me.  Much  good  may  it  do  you !  " 

After  this  meeting  Jimmy  was  silent  on  the  sub 
ject  of  his  betrayal, — so  silent  that  Walsh  was  uneasy 
for  several  days.  He  cheered  himself  by  reviewing 
the  situation.  Twist  this  as  he  would,  he  could 
foresee  nothing  but  a  crushing  defeat  for  Jimmy. 

The  entire  city  was  aroused  as  never  before  by  a 
municipal  election.  The  count  made  in  advance  by 
the  most  conservative  of  political  observers  showed 
that  those  who  were  supposed  to  remain  faithful  to 
the  old  regime  were  out-numbered  two  to  one.  Most 
of  the  newspapers  championed  the  cause  of  "  reform," 
as  it  was  called.  It  was  an  excellent  occasion  for  the 
ventilation  of  highly  moral  views  upon  the  degener 
acy  of  politics,  the  oppression  of  "  Bossism,"  and 
the  might  of  a  "  free-born  people."  Moreover,  the 
gratitude  of  Jimmy  was  soon  like  to  be  worth  little, 
so  far  as  political  advertising  in  the  public  prints 
was  concerned.  His  enmity  was  something  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  415 

which,  in  the  near  future,  one  might  be  politely  in 
different. 

One  newspaper  remained  staunch  to  him;  two 
others  preserved  a  judicial  discrepancy  between  their 
news  columns  and  editorial  pages.  This  was  a  sort 
of  sheet  anchor  which  the  publishers  cast  to  wind 
ward  against  a  sudden  veering  of  the  political  gale. 

The  Administration,  which  owed  its  offices  to 
Jimmy  in  large  part,  exhibited  the  powers  of  the 
chameleon. 

Kate  read  the  newspapers  with  an  earnestness  that 
had  small  reward.  She  did  not  understand  politics, 
and  cared  nothing  for  them.  She  had  seldom  thought 
of  Jimmy  as  a  politician.  When  she  did,  it  was  as 
a  sort  of  engineer  who  controlled  a  machine  which 
never  got  out  of  order  or  did  things  that  he  did  not 
wish  it  to  do.  Now,  she  realized,  that  Jimmy  was 
part  and  parcel  of  this  machine,  and  that  there  was 
danger  of  it  doing  him  a  serious  injury.  So,  know 
ing  him  as  she  did,  she  understood  that  what 
threatened  was  bitter  to  him  beyond  any  words  he 
was  likely  to  speak. 

She  was  terribly  anxious.  She  tried  to  find  out 
from  Jack  what  the  situation  really  promised,  but 
his  replies  were  vague.  He  knew  nothing  about  the 
rumored  treachery  of  Walsh  and  Showell  beyond 
what  was  talked  of  on  the  street ;  and  this  he  did  not 
credit.  He  was  sure  that  Jimmy  was  all  right. 

Jack  had  been  away  from  the  house  on  the  night 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  416 

that  Marcus  had  the  encounter  with  Casey;  and 
Kate  had  been  careful  not  to  betray  her  knowledge 
of  that  night's  proceedings.  Her  part  in  them  was 
a  particular  secret.  She  could  not  explain  to  her 
self  just  why  it  was  that  she  was  reluctant  to  speak 
of  what,  on  the  face,  was  a  perfectly  natural  and 
proper  thing  to  do  for  such  an  old  friend.  Yet 
reluctant  she  always  was  to  confess  to  Jack  that 
she  had  any  interest  personally  in  Jimmy.  It  was  a 
diffidence  that  made  her  shame- faced  at  times;  and 
in  which,  again,  she  secretly  exulted. 

It  may  have  been  that  some  of  this  diffidence  was 
bound  up  in  the  treachery  of  Marcus.  She  had 
no  feeling  for  him  but  loathing,  yet  she  recoiled 
from  the  suggestion  of  exposing  him.  She  acqui 
esced  silently  in  his  lamely-spoken  explanation  of 
the  cause  of  the  fight  between  Casey  and  himself. 
She  apprehended  danger  in  allowing  him  to  know 
that  she  had  sent  the  message  to  Jimmy  which  he 
had  tried  to  withhold.  Her  contempt  for  him  was 
too  deep  to  be  voiced  in  recriminations.  She  dreaded 
an  altercation  in  which  he  would  defend  himself  by 
attacking  her  with  sneers  and  insinuations  which 
would  make  her  cheeks  burn. 

To  be  sure,  she  had  received  word  from  Jimmy 
on  the  day  after  she  sent  the  telegram  to  him.  But 
his  response  was  so  meagre  that  it  left  her  all  trem 
bling  with  uncertainty.  She  learned  from  it  just 
enough  to  strengthen  her  fears  that  his  danger  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  417 

great — so  great  that  he  had  come  privily  to  the  city, 
and  could  not  call  on  her  now. 

Mrs.  Mat  Casey  was  his  messenger.  Mrs.  Casey 
had  received  guarded  directions  from  Jimmy;  and 
she  carried  them  out  in  her  own  way.  The  fitting 
of  one  of  those  marvelous  gowns,  which  she  periodi 
cally  had  made,  furnished  her  with  opportunity. 

"  Mrs.  Doran,"  she  asked,  as  she  raised  her  pon 
derous  arms,  and  regarded  herself  approvingly  in 
the  mirror;  "  Mrs.  Doran,  did  y'  ever  kape  a  boardin' 
house?" 

"  No,"  answered  Kate;  "  I  never  did."  She  an 
swered  without  thought,  and  immediately,  inquired 
if  the  waist-band  suited  her  customer. 

"  Yis,"  replied  Mrs.  Casey,  whose  mind  was  on 
her  message  and  whose  heart  was  begging  for  atten 
tion  to  the  gown.  '  Yis,  't  suits  me  well  'nough,  but, 
—but  fur  th'  loss  av  th'  parlur." 

"  Loss  of — the  parlor?  "  began  Kate  in  astonish 
ment.  Her  mouth  was  full  of  pins;  she  looked  up 
at  Mrs.  Casey.  The  latter  was  again  lost  in  admira 
tion  of  her  reflection.  "  Of  your  parlor?  "  queried 
'Kate. 

"  But  Oi'd  loike  'f  't  had  a  bit  more  av  a  curve-in 
front,"  Mrs.  Casey  said  critically. 

"More  curve  in  the  parlor?"  interrogated 
Kate. 

"  Curve  in  th'  waisht-band,"  corrected  Mrs. 
Casey.  "  Who  said  parlur?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  418 

"  You  did,"  returned  Kate.  "  You  said  curve 
in  the  parlor;  but  the  waist-band  was  what  you 
meant." 

"  Av  course  Oi  did,"  agreed  Mrs.  Casey.  She 
realized  now  that  she  had  been  enticed  from  her 
mission  by  the  delights  of  her  new  dress.  "  'T  wuz 
th'  waisht-band  Oi  mint;  but  'twuz  th'  parlur  thet 
wuz  in  me  thoughts,"  she  went  on.  "  Fur  Oi'm 
kapin'  a  boardin'-house  now." 

"Is  that  so?" 

"  Yis,  an'  Oi've  got  wan  boarder  thet's  a  quare 
man." 

Kate  made  no  reply.  She  was  on  her  knees,  ad 
justing  the  recalcitrant  waist-band. 

"  He's  a  short,  chunk  av  a  man,  wid  blue  eyes  an' 
a  smoile  thet  would  take  th'  heart  out  av  y',  wid  'ts 
winnin'  ways,"  continued  Mrs.  Casey. 

Kate  was  still  wholly  occupied  with  the  dress- 
band. 

"  An'  he  drisses,  fur  all  th'  wurruld,  loike  he  wuz" 
a  Quaker,  instid  av  th'  big  man  thet  he  is." 

Mrs.  Casey's  persistence  gained  her  point.  Kate's 
attention  was  distracted  from  the  dress.  "  You're 
talking  of  your  boarder?  "  she  asked. 

"Av  me  boarder;  av  who  ilse?  Oi  wuz  tillin' 
y'  th'  kind  av  man  he  is.  He  came  t'  me,  lasht 
noight,  frum  a  place  they  call  Say-Clip  or  Say- 
Click,  er  somethin'  av  th'  koind.  'T  's  on  th'  say- 
shore,  an'  he's  bin  spindin  a  wake  there.  'T  's 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  419 

longer  he  would  have  spint  there,  too,  O'im  afther 
thinkin',  'i  he  hadn't  bin  sint  fur,  suddint  loike." 

Kate's  thoughts  had  come  to  a  focus.  She 
looked  at  Mrs.  Casey  sharply,  but  that  lady's  atten 
tion  was  riveted  on  the  glass.  Mrs.  Casey  rejoiced 
irf  a  bit  of  mystery,  and  she  was  loth  to  surrender 
the  privileges  of  her  present  office.  Kate  was  balked, 
but  her  heart  and  mind  both  were  now  on  the  sus 
picion  aroused  by  her  customer's  last  words. 

"Was  it— Sea  Cliff?— Was  it  Sea  Cliff  your— 
new  boarder  came  from  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oi  disremimber  entoirely,"  Mrs.  Casey  rejoined. 
"  But  Oi  wisht  I  c'd  go  there.  'T  must  be  a  beau 
tiful  place.  Do  y'  loike  th'  sayside,  Mrs.  Doran?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Kate,  and  then,  quickly,  "  But  this 
man — your  new  boarder — what  is  his  name  ?  " 

Mrs.  Casey  assumed  an  expression  of  profound 
cogitation.  She  began  to  shake  her  head  slowly. 
"  Now,  ain't  thet  quare?  "  she  said,  almost  as  if  to 
herself.  "  Thet's  certainly  quare !  Oi  can't  think 
av  his  name.  Let's  see!  'T  wuzn't  Jones;  an' 
'twuzn't  Smith,  an'  'twuzn't  Killy.  I'm  shure  av 
those.  Nur,  'twuzn't  Daniel, — nur  Dixon, — nur — " 

"Was  it— was  it  Devlin?"  asked  Kate.  She 
bent  to  pick  up  some  cuttings  on  the  floor. 

"  Divilin — Divilin  ?  Now,  Oi  do  belave,  thet  wuz 
his  name,"  replied  Mrs.  Casey  slowly.  She  could  see 
only  the  top  of  Kate's  head;  but  the  tremble  of  the 
hand  that  groped  on  the  floor  was  detected,  and  she 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  420 

added  promptly,  "  Yis,  Divilin  'twuz,  Oi'm  shure. 
An',  now  Oi  riccolict  his  front-dure  name.  'Twuz 
James!" 

"He's — at  your  house,  you  say?"  questioned 
Kate.  "  I — is  that  where  he  usually  stays  ?  " 

Now,  Mrs.  Casey  knew  not  over  what  depths  she 
might  be  treading ;  but  she  did  know  that  these  were 
not  of  her  concern,  and  that  her  business  was  to 
make  her  message  clear  before  she  left.  So  she  an 
swered  plainly,  "  No,  thet's  not  where  he  ginirally 
sthays.  He  has  rooms,  av  his  own,  in  th'  city,  Oi 
b'lave.  But  this  toime  he  had  raisons  fur  not  wantin' 
his  prisince  in  town  t'  be  known,  Oi'm  afther 
thinkin'.  At  layst,  't  's  shure  Oi  am  thet  he's  not  put 
th'  toe  av  his  boot  out  av  th'  dure  av  me  house  since 
he  came." 

Kate  raised  her  face  to  that  of  Mrs.  Casey. 
Mrs.  Casey  tried  to  retain  the  mask  of  placidity,  but 
in  vain.  A  smile  crept  over  her  broad  visage,  her 
huge  frame  shook. 

"  Is  that — all  you  know  about  this  boarder?  "  in 
quired  Kate.  She  was  smiling  also. 

"  Indade,  't  's  all  me  good  intintions  t'  him  w'd 
permit  me  t'  know." 

Kate  understood.  Mrs.  Casey's  boarder  passed 
from  the  conversation ;  and  the  fitting  of  the  gown 
progressed  more  rapidly. 

That  afternoon,  thinking  over  the  morning's  con 
versation,  Kate  came  to  the  conclusion  that  she  had 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  421 

been  obtuse  concerning  the  genesis  of  Mrs.  Casey's 
inordinate  appetite  for  expensive  dresses  and  mate 
rial  appreciation  of  her  (Kate's)  skill  as  a  dress 
maker. 

Marcus  did  not  learn  of  Jimmy's  presence  in  town 
until  the  latter  showed  himself  on  the  street.  But, 
learning  of  it,  he  straightway  posted  to  Jimmy's 
office,  and  found  the  waiting-room  there  crowded. 
The  door  to  Jimmy's  room  was  closed.  He  sat 
down,  intending  to  be  the  next  one  to  enter.  He 
had  several  questions  to  ask;  but,  for  a  wonder,  no 
peremptory  demand  to  make. 

In  point  of  fact,  Marcus  was  in  a  state  of  uncer 
tainty  and  apprehension  which  was  as  novel  as  it  was 
irritating  to  him.  The  rumors  of  a  break  between 
Walsh  and  Showell  and  Jimmy  had  become  so  con 
stant  and  definite  that  Marcus  all  but  believed  in 
them.  But  he  could  not  make  himself  believe  that 
he  had  been  duped  by  Walsh,  as  this  seemed  to  indi 
cate.  If  he  had  been  duped — if  he  had  been  cozened 
into  helping  to  keep  Jimmy  from  the  city,  and  so 
had  aided  in  preventing  his  own  nomination  for 
Councils — where  did  he  now  stand  ?  He  cared  little 
for  the  wrath  that  must  have  stirred  in  Jimmy  when 
Casey  told  him  of  that  undelivered  message ;  but  he 
cared  very  much  about  Jimmy's  position  in  politics. 
On  that  now  hung  his  own  fate.  For  Walsh,  he 
perceived,  would  laugh  in  his  face,  if  he  went  to 
him,  asking  for  anything.  It  remained  to  be  learned 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  422 

if  Jimmy  was  powerless  to  do  anything  for  him. 
If  so — Marcus  had  not  been  able  to  see  his  way  be 
yond  that  chance. 

As  soon  as  the  door  opened,  he  slipped  in,  un 
mindful  of  the  call  of  the  man  whose  turn  it  was; 
and  shut  the  door  behind  him.  He  slid  into  a  seat. 
He  was  nervous,  and  began  at  once. 

"  Is  it  true  about  Walsh  and  Showell  and — 
you?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Jimmy.  "  But  drop  that!  You've 
come  to  see  me  about  your  nomination  ?  " 

"  Yes,  th'  nomination  you  promised  me — th'  one 
you  tried  to  upset." 

"  What's  that?  "  asked  Jimmy  quickly. 

Marcus  repeated  his  statement.  "  I  got  th'  truth 
from  Walsh,"  he  added,  defiantly. 

"  You — did?  "  said  Jimmy,  his  voice  sinking.  A 
light  came  upon  him.  He  saw  why  it  was  that 
Marcus  had  turned  against  him.  He  set  his  gaze  on 
Marcus  with  an  expression  of  mingled  pity  and  con 
tempt.  Verily,  the  knave  had  overreached  himself 
for  once !  In  contemplation  of  this  he  almost  forgot 
the  stroke  which  Marcus  had  leveled  at  him.  Aloud, 
he  went  on,  "  So,  Walsh  told  you  I'd  turned  you 
down — behind  your  back,  eh?  Well — "  he  paused 
to  enjoy  Marcus's  anxiety.  "  I  didn't  do  it." 

"  You  didn't  turn  me  down  ?  I  was  on  th' 
ticket,"  gasped  Marcus.  He  almost  wanted  to  say 
that  Jimmy  lied  because  it  became  plain  to  him  that 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  423 

Walsh  had  made  a  fool  of  him — that  '  Con '  Mur 
ray  had  done  the  same.  That  he  was — .  Where 
was  he?  "  Then,  I'm  on  th'  ticket?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  were,"  corrected  Jimmy.  "  But  that  ticket 
went  up  when  Walsh  and  Showell — ."  He  did  not 
finish  the  sentence,  but  said :  "  You're  not  on  the 
ticket  now" 

"Why  ain't  I?" 

"  Because  I  couldn't  nominate  you — couldn't  elect 
you,  if  I  did." 

Marcus  grasped  at  a  straw.  He  tried  to  put  con 
fidence  in  his  assertion,  "  I  don't  believe  you ! 
You've  said  that  same  before.  You've  got — " 

"  Hold  on !  "  broke  in  Jimmy.  He  knew  that  to 
bandy  words  with  Marcus  was  useless.  He  tried  to 
make  him  see  the  facts,  hopeless  as  the  task  seemed. 
"  I  tell  you  th'  exact  truth,"  he  said.  "  I  can't  do 
what  you  want  because  it  ain't  in  my  power  to  do 
it.  You  can  threaten  till  you're  blind  in  th'  face, — 
it  makes  no  difference.  Don't  you  know  what  this 
fight  means?  Do  you  want  to  be  defeated,  and 
knock  me  out  at  th'  same  time?  That's  what  your 
nomination  would  help  to  do.  Where  will  you  be  at, 
if  that  happens  ?  Are  you  a  fool  as  well  as — "  He 
stopped  short,  and  stared. 

And  Marcus  could  not  reply.  Every  word  that 
Jimmy  had  spoken  struck  him  with  the  force  of 
truth.  He  remembered  the  incident  of  the  Colonial 
Club;  he  realized  that  '  Con '  Murray  would  never 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  424 

have  cut  loose  from  him,  if  there  had  been  a  chance 
of  his  election  to  Councils.  He  knew  that  he  did  not 
stand  well  in  his  own  ward.  He  had  an  idea  which 
was  steadily  growing,  of  the  scope  of  this  fight 
against  bossism.  Jimmy's  desperation,  which  had 
made  him  acknowledge  that  defeat  was  likely,  was 
most  convincing  of  all.  These  things  pressed  home 
on  Marcus,  and,  for  the  first  time  he  did  not  push 
his  claim. 

"  Then,  what  are  you  going  to  do  for  me?  "  he 
asked  doggedly. 

"  I  can't  do  anything  for  you — now,"  replied 
Jimmy,  looking  him  squarely  in  the  face ;  wondering, 
as  he  had  been  wondering  for  two  days,  how  Marcus 
would  take  a  flat  denial. 

But  Marcus  made  no  threat.  He  leaned  back  in 
his  chair,  his  hands  in  his  trousers'  pockets,  his  eyes 
slowly  reviewing  the  room. 

How  Jimmy  wished  that  he  might  rise  up  then  and 
there,  and  declare,  "  And  neither  will  I  do  anything 
for  you  at  any  other  time !  "  But  he  did  not  dare. 
He  knew  that  his  emancipation  was  but  temporary. 
It  was  bought  at  the  price  of  his  power ;  it  would  be 
over  as  soon  as  he  had  gifts  to  give.  Perhaps,  even 
now,  he  was  deluding  himself,  and  Marcus  was  esti 
mating  how  much  in  money  he  should  demand  as 
salve  for  his  disappointment. 

An  idea  of  this  kind  had  come  into  Marcus's  mind, 
but  he  had  postponed  consideration  of  it  until  another 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  425 

time.  He  decided  to  wait  until  it  should  be  certain 
that  the  usefulness  of  Jimmy  as  a  political  factor 
was  over.  Besides,  he  had  definite  reasons  of  his 
own  for  not  pushing  Jimmy  too  hard. 

"  I  guess  you  are  up  against  th'  wall,  pretty 
close,"  he  said  with  a  show  of  condescension  that  was 
inexpressibly  galling.  "  So  I'll  let  up  on  you.  When 
you  get  things  straightened  out,  if  you  do,  I'll  come 
in  and  see  you  again." 


But,  in  the  two  weeks  that  followed,  if  did  not 
seem  as  if  Marcus  was  likely,  ever  again,  to  have  the 
chance  to  make  use  of  Jimmy  as  a  man  with  offices 
to  donate.  The  lines  against  Jimmy  were  drawn 
tight  and  hard.  His  own  people  of  the  Water  Trust 
and  the  ring  of  "  stalwarts  "  he  rallied  round  him; 
almost  all1  doubtful  elements  were  attracted  into  the 
camps  of  the  enemy.  The  outlook,  just  before  the 
nominations  were  made,  caused  the  betting  to  be  two 
to  one  in  favor  of  Walsh  and  Showell  and  the  Com 
mittee  of  Fifty,  jimmy  became  grim  and  taciturn, 
but  made  his  working  days  twenty  and,  often,  twen 
ty-four  hours  each. 

And,  then,  a  strange  thing  began  to  be  whispered 
about  town.  It  made  Walsh  knit  his  brows  and 
breathe  anathemas  upon  his  credulity ;  it  administered 
a  check  to  the  boasting  of  the  impetuous  members  of 
the  Committee  of  Fifty.  But,  also,  it  made  most  of 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  426 

these  throw  themselves  into  the  struggle  with  greater 
energy  than  before. 

So,  when  the  primary  elections  which  Jimmy  so 
lately  had  dominated  were  held,  and  resulted,  with 
out  hitch  or  dissenting  voice,  in  the  nomination  of 
the  candidates  proposed  by  Walsh  and  his  allies, — 
confidence  was  born  afresh  among  the  reformers. 

But,  a  few  days  after  this,  the  old  whisper  of 
strange  things  to  happen  was  revived  with  startling 
distinctness.  A  week  later,  it  had  become  a  loud 
voice.  Ten  days  later  it  proclaimed  itself  at  the 
primary  elections  of  the  minority  party.  The  ticket 
presented  then  and  unanimously  supported  was  one 
of  compromises,  and  of  names  potent  with  Democrat 
and  Republican  alike. 

All  eyes  once  more  were  turned  on  Jimmy.  There 
was  shaking  of  heads.  "  Why,  half  th'  men  on  this 
ticket,"  said  Walsh  to  Showell,  as  he  read  the  list 
of  men  nominated  at  the  minority  primaries,  "  Half 
th'  men  here  are  th'  same  ones  that  Jimmy  had  on 
th'  ticket  we  three  set  up  with  him,  before  he  left 
on  that  vacation.  Damn  him !  " 

Jimmy  was  beset  by  reporters.  "  This  ticket  of 
the  minority  party?  What  did  he  think  of  it?  " 

"  Think  of  it  ?  "  said  Jimmy,  with  his  old  twinkle 
in  his  eyes.  "  Oh !  it's  a  right  good  sort  of  a  ticket. 
I'd  call  it  a — '  return  ticket.'  Anyway,  some  people 
say  it's  th'  one  that  brought  me  home  from  th'  sea 
shore." 


CHAPTER  XXII  427 

JACK  DORAN,  one  arm  on  the  banister,  watched 
a  vision  in  pink  and  white  descend  the  stair 
way.  Her  arms  gleamed  through  the  tulle 
from  which  rose  her  gracious  neck.  Her  head, 
crowned  with  brown  curls,  now  sedately  piled,  was 
held  proudly,  yet  not  so  high  but  that  a  pair  of  danc 
ing  eyes  rested  on  the  face  turned  up  to  hers.  Two 
long  stemmed  roses  nodded  at  her  shoulder.  She 
waved  her  fan  by  way  of  greeting,  a  moment  later 
paused  beside  him,  and  extended  a  slender 
hand. 

"  Wherefore,  so  mournful  ?  And  at  the  first  dance 
of  the  autumn !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Dick,  here,  was 
afraid  you  would  tell  us  that  the  orchestra  had  struck 
or  the  caterer  run  away  with  the  supper." 

"  Nothing  so  terrible  as  that,  Molly,"  he  returned. 
"  If  I  looked  mournful  it  was  because  I  knew  how 
few  dances  I  was  to  have  with  you." 

'You  deserve  an  extra  one   for  that;   and  you 
shall  have  it." 

"  May  it  be  the  supper  march  ?  " 

"  I  have  that,"  said  Dick  Cans  promptly. 

"Then  the  first  waltz?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  428 

Molly  consulted  the  dancing  card  which  dangled 
from  her  wrist  by  a  silken  string.  "  That  is  taken, 
too/'  she  said.  She  did  not  say  by  whom  it  was 
taken,  but  Dick's  complacent  smile  was  tell-tale. 
"  But  you  shall  have  the  first  galop,"  she  promised. 
"  And,  if  you  want  another  one,  Mr.  Gravity,  you 
had  best  speak  now  or  else  forever  after  hold  your 
peace.  You  see,  I  am  not  a  bit  vain." 

Jack  took  the  dancing  card.  In  a  half  a  dozen 
places  he  saw  the  initials  D.  G.  Whatever  he 
thought  of  this  his  face  told  nothing.  He  pencilled 
his  name  opposite  three  numbers  which  were  un 
claimed  and  which  she  said  he  might  have. 

"  So  you  don't  want  that  extra  dance,  after  all?  " 
she  remarked,  looking  over  his  shoulder. 

"  Yes,  you  know  I  do,  if  it  is  still  due  me."  He 
initialled  another  dance  number,  and  dropped  the 
card.  "  That  is  a  beautiful  dress,"  he  added,  his  eye 
traveling  over  it  with  critical  approval. 

"  Do  you  like  it  ?  I  am  glad.  I  wore  this  espe 
cially  for  you — and  the  other  men." 

He  continued  to  regard  her  with  grave  pleasure. 
She  turned  herself  about  slowly,  holding  her  chin 
up.  It  was  a  favorite  trick.  He  remembered  the 
first  time  he  had  seen  her  do  it.  "  Very  good,"  he 
said.  "  Each  view  of  that  gown  is  better  than  the 
one  before." 

"  And  the  girl?  "  She  looked  at  him  with  raised 
brows. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  429 

"  The  girl  is  worthy  of  any  gown." 

Dick  Gans  interrupted  impatiently,  "  The  music 
has  begun  for  that  waltz." 

Molly  gave  Jack  a  saucy  nod  over  her  shoulder  as 
she  moved  away.  "  Be  careful  or  you  will  be  mis 
taken  for  chief  mourner,"  she  flung  back  at  him. 

But  his  face  did  not  change  as  he  watched  her  pass 
through  the  line  of  men  at  the  doorway  of  the  danc 
ing  room.  A  faint  smile  had  parted  his  lips,  but  his 
eyes  were  sober.  In  evening  dress  he  made  a  hand 
some,  manly  figure.  He  looked  to  be  twenty-eight; 
he  had  but  just  passed  his  twenty-fifth  year.  His 
face  had  taken  on  a  strength  and  seriousness  that 
became  it,  yet  which  puzzled  some  of  those  who  knew 
him.  Even  The  Only  Girl  had  failed  to  satisfy  her 
self  entirely  of  the  reason  for  this  sobriety.  It  was 
Jack,  as  he  had  always  been,  polite  and  heedful  of 
her  comfort  and  pleasure,  but  Jack  with  something 
sitting  on  his  brow  which  it  did  not  seem  should 
be  there.  If  this  disquieted  her,  it  did  not  lessen  her 
mischievous  attempts  upon  his  self-possession. 

She,  too,  had  her  sedate  moments,  but  these  did 
not  subdue  her  gaiety  at  other  times.  Her  thrusts 
were  as  keen  and  sure  as  ever;  her  intentions,  when 
she  willed  it,  as  difficult  to  anticipate. 

But  Jack,  as  the  hem  of  the  pink  and  white  gown 
was  whisked  out  of  sight,  said  to  himself,  "  Molly ! 
Molly!  how  I  wish  it  could  be  always  as  it  is  to 
night!" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  430 

It  was  a  strange  remark  to  make  of  The  Only  Girl 
when  she  was  in  the  company  of  a  man  who  had 
annexed  more  than  a  fair  share  of  her  society  for  the 
evening,  but,  then  Jack,  in  some  ways,  was  a  queer 
fellow.  He  had  done  a  great  deal  of  quiet  thinking 
in  the  four  months  past.  Molly  had  been  away  for 
that  time  at  the  sea  shore,  or  in  the  country.  He 
had  seen  her  to  talk  with  but  twice  since  the  day  in 
June  when  he  told  her  about  his  father.  It  was  his 
own  fault  that  this  had  been  so;  more  than  once  she 
had  asked  him  to  come  to  see  her.  His  replies  had 
been  that  he  was  too  busy  at  the  Bank  to  leave,  or 
that  he  had  agreed  to  go  fishing  with  another  man 
during  his  holiday.  This  last  would  not  have  been 
true  if  he  had  written  to  her  any  earlier  than  he  did. 
But  it  served  to  remove  the  temptation  which,  for 
all  his  determination,  he  would  otherwise  have  suc 
cumbed  to.  It  required  many  sacrifices  to  be  true  to 
his  promise  to  be  "  just  a  good  friend."  Nor  was 
his  position  changed.  Nothing  had  happened,  as 
nothing  could  happen,  from  his  point  of  view,  to 
make  his  duty  less  plain.  The  removal  of  his  father 
from  the  pillory  on  which  public  opinion  had  fixed 
him  when  he  was  a  candidate  for  City  Councils  had 
not  made  him  any  the  less  his  father. 

If  Jack  had  not  been  the  healthy  animal  he  was, 
if  his  inheritance  from  his  mother  had  not  been  a 
cheerful  heart  and  industrious  hands,  he  would  have 
grown  morose.  He  had  passed  the  days  of  the  sum- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  431 

mer  in  hard  work  at  the  Bank  and  most  of  the  eve 
nings  in  his  mother's  company.  But  he  had  his  re 
bellious  hours. 

In  the  early  days  of  October  Mr.  Chambers  opened 
his  country  house,  and  twice  Jack  journeyed  out  there 
because  Molly  called  him  and  excuses  failed  him. 
As  luck  would  have  it,  on  one  of  these  occasions 
Dick  Cans  was  also  present;  on  the  other  he  heard 
things  said  upon  which  he  placed  his  own  construc 
tion.  Dick  and  Molly,  he  decided,  if  they  were  not 
already  engaged,  had  an  understanding  which  was 
its  equivalent  in  general  opinion.  Tom  Rowell's 
scepticism  did  not  dissuade  him.  Tom  had  volun 
teered,  "  Jack,  it's  clear  you  don't  know  Molly. 
She'd  speak  out  if  that  was  so.  I  don't  understand 
her  myself — always;  but,  I'm  dead  sure,  it  isn't  Dick 
— now,  at  any  rate." 

Jack  had  smiled.  Tom  was  a  good-hearted  chap. 
"  I  haven't  said  she  was  engaged,"  he  returned. 

"  No,  but  you  think  it.  Come !  I'm  not  blind, 
Jack.  Keep  a  stiff  upper  lip.  As  for  Molly,  she 
thinks  a  lot  of  you.  That  didn't  strike  you,  eh?  " 

Jack  smiled  again,  but  it  was  all  on  his  lips.  His 
eyes  darkened  despite  his  endeavor.  "  Yes,  Molly 
is  a  good  friend,"  he  said.  "  I  know  that."  He 
clapped  Tom  on  the  shoulder  to  show  him  that  he 
understood  that  they  shared  in  her  good  opinion. 

But  on  this  night  of  the  dance  at  the  Country 
Club  he  could  not  close  his  mind  to  the  hopes  quick- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  432 

ened  in  him  as  he  watched  his  Princess  come  toward 
him  down  the  stairway  of  the  Club  house.  Her 
chaffing  words  were  very  precious  to  him.  When 
he  surrendered  her  to  Dick,  after  his  first  dance  with 
her,  and  saw  her  float  away,  her  head  tilted  back, 
saying  something  in  undertones  to  her  partner,  he 
shook  his  shoulders,  and  wandered  downstairs  to  the 
smoking  room.  Half  an  hour  must  elapse  before  he 
could  claim  her  again;  he  did  not  care  to  dance  with 
anyone  else;  he  could  not  stand  by  and  see  her  with 
another  man.  Doubtless,  it  would  have  surprised 
him  to  learn  that  these  arguments  had  been  used  be 
fore. 

In  the  smoking  room  were  half  a  dozen  men  whom 
he  did  not  know,  and  he  found  himself  listening  to 
them  while  he  smoked. 

"  Well,  I  see  that  Devlin's  got  one  of  his  old  allies 
back/'  remarked  one  of  the  men. 

"  Showell  ?  Yes.  It  doesn't  surprise  me.  Dev 
lin's  worth  the  whole  crowd  when  it  comes  to  clever 
ness." 

"  And  Showell's  always  after  the  biggest  slice. 
He  worked  by  Devlin's  side  so  long  that  he  must 
have  a  pretty  good  idea  of  what  the  present  fight 
promises.  I'm  only  astonished  that  Walsh  let  his 
confederate  slip  through  his  fingers." 

"  Walsh  couldn't  help  it,  or  he  would,"  put  in  a 
third  man.  "  Showell,  I  imagine,  got  frightened, 
and  concluded  that  there  wasn't  anything  in  it  for 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  433 

him  in  sticking  by  Walsh  and  the  reformers.  Devlin 
might  win,  you  know  ?  " 

"  It's  a  toss-up,"  said  the  first  speaker.  "  Devlin 
has  every  man  in  that  Water  Works  gang  behind 
him.  They've  only  to  read  the  newspapers  and  post 
ers  to  find  out  that  the  Water  Works  is  a  goner  if 
Walsh  and  the  Committee  win.  The  Water  Works 
people  are  working  with  a  halter  round  their  necks ; 
they're  working  for  their  own  lives  as  well  as  for 
Devlin.  So  they're  not  likely  to  be  scrupulous." 

"  A  good  many  fellows  in  City  Councils  are  in 
the  same  box,"  chimed  in  another  man.  "  But  they'll 
do  Devlin's  bidding  as  long  as  he's  boss.  After  that 
• — out  they  go.  It's  a  cut-throat  game  all  round." 

"And  it  started,"  philosophized  the  first  man; 
"  because  Devlin  used  his  fist  in  behalf  of  a  low 
lived,  miserable  hanger-on  named  Doran." 

"  I  like  Devlin  for  that  blow,"  commented  a  fourth 
man.  "  But  just  the  same,  considered  politically, 
he  was  all  kinds  of  a  fool  to  strike  it." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  We  can't  tell  what  was 
back  of  it,  between  Devlin  and  Doran,  I  mean. 
Now,—" 

Jack  jumped  up,  and  strode  out  of  the  room.  He 
went  to  the  dancing  floor. 

Molly,  radiant  and  talking  rapidly,  was  sitting  in 
a  corner.  The  music  began  again.  He  called  her 
attention  to  her  dancing  card.  "  Yes,  this  is  yours," 
she  said,  and  they  glided  away. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  434 

Jack  did  not  analyse  his  emotions  as  he  looked 
down  into  her  face  and  felt  the  gloved  hand  that 
rested  lightly  on  his  arm.  An  intoxication  swept 
away  harassing  recollections.  He  knew  only  that 
he  was  with  her,  and  wished  that  they  might  dance 
on  so  forever.  But  they  had  traversed  the  room  but 
twice  when  she  pleaded  fatigue.  "  Besides,"  she 
said,  "  I  want  to  talk  with  you.  Let's  find  a  con 
fidential  corner.  Or  maybe,  you  have  someone  else 
to  look  out  for?  " 

His  face  was  answer  enough.  So  they  explored 
the  gallery  and  the  smaller  room  adjoining  the  danc 
ing  floor.  There  were  chairs  in  both  places  in  plenty 
and  more  than  one  inviting  corner;  but  none  of 
them  met  with  her  approval.  Apparently,  she  knew 
just  what  she  sought.  They  went  out  on  the  broad 
piazza  which  ran  along  the  front  of  the  building. 
It  overlooked  the  tennis  field,  and,  in  summer,  was 
a  favorite  place  for  dining  when  the  sun  hid  itself 
behind  the  hills.  Now  it  was  closed  in  with  glazed 
shutters  over  which  hung  crimson  curtains.  Two 
big  stoves  made  it  genially  warm.  At  the  far  end 
a  double  line  of  palms  and  potted  shrubbery  screened 
an  angle  of  the  wall. 

Molly  halted  instantly.  "  The  very  place !  "  she 
exclaimed.  "  Now,  get  me  two  chairs,  Jack — nice 
stretchy  ones.  For  I  want  to  be  comfortable;  I've 
— danced  so  much." 

With  a  little  backward  glance,  as  if  she  feared 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  435 

some  one  would  see  her  do  this  daring  thing,  she 
parted  the  foliage.  She  daintily  lifted  her  skirts, 
giving  a  glimpse  of  a  slim,  arched  instep,  and  stepped 
inside.  Through  the  leafy  screen  she  called  softly 
to  him,  "  It's  lovely.  We  will  be  able  to  see  every 
body,  and  nobody  can  see  us.  Hurry,  hurry  back! 
And  don't  forget  the  chairs — that  are  stretchy." 

He  went  to  hunt  for  them,  but  he  was  almost  un 
conscious  of  what  he  did.  Mazie  Bradford  nodded 
knowingly  at  him,  but  he  saw  her  not.  He  was  in 
a  dream.  Then,  suddenly  recalling  Molly's  fondness 
for  plaguing  him,  he  halted  in  front  of  the  line  of 
shrubs.  Of  course, — she  had  slipped  away  as  soon 
as  his  back  was  turned.  He  put  down  the  chairs, 
and  would,  if  he  could,  have  sauntered  off  without 
investigation.  But,  as  he  halted,  the  rustle  of  a 
skirt  and  a  faltering,  little  whistle  set  him  right.  He 
picked  up  the  chairs  quickly,  and  somehow  managed 
to  put  them  within  the  retreat  of  the  whistler.  But 
he  bungled  badly.  Air  is  an  unstable  footing,  and 
a  guilty  conscience  does  not  steady  trembling  hands. 

"  Who  was  it,  Jack?  "  she  inquired  casually  as  she 
settled  herself  with  much  arranging  of  her  skirts. 

"Who  was  what?" 

"  The  girl  you  remembered  you  wanted  to  go  back 
to — just  now — when  you  stopped  outside?"  She 
went  on  arranging  her  gown  with  little  touches,  here 
and  there,  never  lifting  her  eyes.  When  he  did  not 
answer,  she  looked  up.  "  Anyhow,  I'm  not  going  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  436 

let  you  go  to  her — just  yet,"  she  announced.  "  Sit 
down,  please.  It's  polite  to  do  it,  you  know,  when 
a  lady  asks  your  company." 

He  sat  down.  He  would  have  stood  on  his  head, 
or  tried  to,  at  the  bidding  of  that  pretty,  imperious 
voice.  A  delicious  languor, — which  was  not  a 
languor  either;  for  his  pulses  thrilled  and  his  heart 
thumped, — took  possession  of  him.  Molly  and  he 
seemed  to  be  shut  off  from  all  the  rest  of  the  world. 
The  soft  light  of  a  lamp  outside  filtered  through  the 
leafy  screen  and  checkered  her  gown.  He  could  see 
the  sweet  lines  of  her  face  in  shadow.  The  music 
drifted  in  on  them,  now  and  then,  through  an  open 
window.  They  could  hear  faintly  a  girl  laughing 
at  the  far  end  of  the  porch. 

"  Now,  to  pick  my  crow  with  you,"  Molly  went 
on.  "  Where  were  you  for  the  past  half  hour?  " 

"  In  the  smoking  room." 

"  The  smoking  room?  When  dancing  was  going 
on  ?  And  you  are  so  fond  of  dancing !  " 

"  I  don't  care  much  for  it  now." 

"  Oh,  if  that's  so,  you  didn't  miss  anything. 
There  was  a  dance  on  my  card  untaken, — a  few 
minutes  ago — while  you  were  in  the  smoking  room. 
But  it  was  just  as  well;  I  sat  it  out  with — a  man 
who  didn't  smoke." 

A  year  ago  Jack  would  have  asked,  "Who?" 
Now  he  said,  "  I'm  sorry  I  wasn't  there,  if  you'd 
have  let  me  have  that  dance." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  437 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  should  have  done,  if  you 
had  been  there.  It  was  a  perfectly  delicious  dance; 
but,  then  that  man  was  a  fine  talker.  And  you— 
Well,  I  don't  like  to  be  made  to  weep  at  a  dance. 
And  you — Jack,  why  are  you  so  changed?  " 

"  Am  I  ?  I  suppose,  I'm  getting  older.  Then, 
you  know,  Molly,  I'm  very  much  afraid  of  you." 

"  Is  that  the  reason  you  stay  away  from  me?  " 

"  I  never  do  that  when  I  can  help  it." 

"  So  all  my  invitations  and  your  vacation, 
and — 

"  Came  at  the  wrong  time — for  me  ?  Yes.  It 
was  too  bad.  You  don't  know  how  much  I  wished 
— it  wasn't  that  way." 

There  was  a  stress  in  his  voice  which  she  was 
quick  to  detect,  though  her  suspicions  were  astray. 
"Jack,"  she  said  quietly;  "Jack,  those  reasons  you 
give  aren't  any  reasons.  Haven't  we  been  friends 
long  enough  for  you  to  tell  me  the  truth  ?  " 

"I've  told  you  the  truth,"  he  replied.  "I  did 
go  on  that  fishing  trip,  as  you  know.  I  have  been 
very  busy  at  the  Bank." 

She  felt  the  change  in  his  manner.  If  there  had 
been  light  enough  she  would  have  seen  his  mouth 
tighten.  If  the  light  had  been  on  her  he  would 
have  seen  that  in  her  eyes  which  might  have  broken 
down  his  resolution,  and  made  him  pour  out  his 
trouble  at  her  feet.  His  lips  were  twitching  and 
his  hands  squeezed  the  arms  of  the  chair.  He  was 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  438 

conscious  of  intense  relief  when  she  said,  "  I'm  be 
ginning  almost  to  hate  that  Bank.  It  takes  so  much 
of  your  time — just  when  I  want  you — and  Tom. 
Some  day  I'm  coming  down  there,  and  tell  President 
— Jimmy  what  I  think  of  it." 

"  He'll  be  glad  to  have  your  opinion." 

"  And  go  on  doing  his  own  way  right  afterwards. 
You  would  do  the  same.  Men  are  so  wrapped  up 
in  their  old  business." 

He  smiled.  "  Wouldn't  you  be  '  wrapped  up,'  if 
you  were  interested  in  your  work?  " 

"  Y-e-s,  I  suppose,  I  would.  It  must  be  good  to 
have  something  you  care  so  much  for — something 
that  you  can  go  ahead  in,  and  build  up,  and  see 
grow." 

"  I  like  it,"  he  said  promptly  "  The  Bank  means 
a  lot  to  me." 

"  You're  assistant  cashier  now,  aren't  you  ?" 

"  Yes." 

•"'  And  you  intend  to  go  on.  You're  going  to  ho 
a  banker  always?  " 

"  Yes,  I  mean  to  be." 

"  It  must  take  a  lot  of  patience.  The  President 
is  generally  an  old  man." 

"  I  will  be  President  of  the  Union  Bank — some 
day,"  he  said  simply. 

She  gave  a  little  laugh. 

"  I  mean  it,"  he  added.  "  I'm  going  to  be  Presi 
dent." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  439 

"  I  like  that,"  she  said  with  a  quick  change  of 
manner. 

"What?     My  work?" 

"  No,   }rour  confidence." 

He  said  "  Thank  you,"  but  he  wanted  to  say  much 
more. 

"  But  you  mustn't  get  conceited,"  she  admonished. 

"  I'm  not,"  he  returned  earnestly.  "  I've  made  up 
my  mind,  that's  all." 

"  Do  you  get  everything  you  make  up  your  mind 
to  have?" 

"  Not — al — ways,"  he  answered  slowly,  checking 
the  impulse  which  his  ambitions  and  her  sympathy 
had  unbound.  "  But  there  are  some  things  I  mean 
to  do.  To  be  President  of  the  Union  Bank  is  one." 

"To  be  rich  is  another?" 

"  Perhaps." 

"And  to  marry  some  nice  girl  is  another?" 

"  No,  I  am  going  to  live  with  my  mother." 

There  was  a  brief  pause.  Then  she  said,  "  Jack, 
I  want  to  meet  your  mother.  I'm  coming  to  call 
on  her." 

"  Are  you  ?  I'm  very  glad  of  that.  She  would 
like  to  meet  you  ever  so  much.  You  must  come 
soon.  My  mother  is  a  great  deal  to  me." 

"  I  know  she  is.  I  hope  she'll  like  me  as  much 
as  I'm  sure  I'll  like  her." 

"  She  couldn't  help  it,"  he  replied. 

"  And  we'll  talk  about  you,"    Molly    went    on. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  440 

"  I'll  tell  her  about  your  never  marrying.     Perhaps, 
she'll  tell  me  who  it  was." 

"Who  it  was?"  . 

"  Who  it  was  that  gave  you  your  congJ." 

"  No  one  did  that,"  he  said  gravely. 

"Then,  she's  married  to  some  one  else?  I'm 
so  sorry." 

Silence. 

"  Is  she  married  to  some  one  else  ? " 

No  answer. 

"Is  she,  Jack?" 

"  No." 

"Or  promised — engaged  to  some  one?" 

They  were  playing  the  "Blue  Danube."  His 
pulses  throbbed  with  it.  Molly  was  leaning  toward 
him,  her  chin  was  cradled  in  a  hand.  A  band  of 
light  fell  across  her  hair;  from  the  dusk  below  this 
yellow  ribbon  her  eyes  sparkled.  She  repeated  softly, 
"  Is  she  engaged,  Jack  ?  " 

"  I — don't — know,"  he  said  hoarsely. 

"Hasn't  she  told  you — anything?" 

"  No." 

"  And  you  haven't  asked  her  ?  " 

No  answer. 

"Why  don't— why  don't  you— ask  her,  Jack?" 

"  It  wouldn't  do  any  good." 

"  Not  if  the  girl— wasn't— engaged?  " 

He  did  not  reply. 
"Wouldn't  it,  Jack?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  441 

"  No — no,  it  wouldn't !  "  he  cried  almost  fiercely. 

"  Are  you — sure?  "  she  asked  timidly.  "  Are  you 
sure,  Jack?  " 

She  waited,  but  he  did  not  answer.  She  was  still 
leaning  toward  him,  her  lips  parted,  her  eyes  rest 
ing  on  a  tiny  pleat  which  busy  fingers  had  made  in 
her  gown.  A  minute  went  by,  and  suddenly  her 
fingers  were  motionless,  then  closed  tightly.  She 
straightened  stiffly,  and  gave  a  little  laugh.  "  What 
an  absurd  suggestion  I  made ! "  she  exclaimed. 
"  The  idea  of  asking  a  girl  if  she  was  engaged !  As 
if  she'd  tell  you !  It  was  foolish." 

"  Yes,  foolish,"  he  repeated,  without  thinking  of 
the  words.  She  seemed  to  be  angry.  He  wondered. 

"  But  you! — You  are  foolish,  too,"  she  burst  out. 
"  You  are  stupid!  Stupid!  Do  you  hear?  You  are 
stupid! "  She  fairly  flung  the  words  at  him. 

"I  suppose,  I  am,"  he  said.  "  But  I  can't  help 
it.  What  have  I  done  to  make  you  angry?  " 

"Angry?"  She  tossed  her  head.  Her  face,  for 
an  instant  came  into  the  light;  he  saw  that  her  eyes 
were  scornful.  He  could  not  understand;  for,  it 
seemed  to  him,  that  her  lips  quivered.  "  I  am  sorry 
I  was — stupid,"  he  said.  "  Will  you  forgive  me?  " 

Dick  Gans's  voice  reached  them.  "  I'm  looking 
for  Miss  Struthers;  this  is  my  dance." 

"  I  think  you'll  find  her  in  the  gallery,"  replied 
another  voice. 

They  heard  Dick  move  away.    "  I  must  go,"  said 


j.  DEVLIN— BOSS  442 

Molly.  "  He'll  come  back  here  looking  for  me." 
Jack  started  and  clenched  his  hands.  "  And  you 
haven't  got  anything  more  to  say  to  me,  Jack?  "  she 
asked. 

"  There  isn't  anything  more  to  say/'  he  answered. 

"  Then — the  girl  we  spoke  about  is  very — sorry," 
she  said  lingeringly,  and  parted  the  foliage  of  the 
palms  to  pass  through. 

He  was  rising,  his  face  white.  She  looked  over 
her  shoulder;  and,  all  at  once,  he  was  beside  her. 
"  Molly,"  he  said.  "  Molly,  won't  you  give  me  one 
of  your  roses — to  keep?" 

Her  hands  went  to  the  roses  at  her  throat,  and 
hesitated.  Then,  she  swiftly  loosened  one  of  the 
flowers,  and  held  it  toward  him.  But  she  did  not 
release  her  hold  on  it.  "  You  can  have  it,"  she 
said  slowly;  "but  you  must  never,  never  give  it  to 
any  one" 

"  I  promise." 

"  Except  to  the  girl  you  are — going  to  marry." 

He  nodded.     The  rose  lay  in  his  hand,  free. 

She  stepped  through  the  screen  of  leaves.  Dick 
Gans  came  out  of  the  nearest  door. 


CHAPTER  XXIII  443 

THE  spectacle  which  followed  the  primary 
elections  in  Jimmy's  city  that  autumn  was 
almost  unique  in  American  politics.  It 
was  that  of  a  body  of  men,  trained  for  almost  any 
thing  but  what  they  were  at,  giving  time,  thought 
and  energy  to  the  overthrow  of  an  organized  politi 
cal  machine,  which,  for  years,  had  held  sway  and 
which  had  nearly  every  position  of  advantage  at  the 
start.  The  aid  which  the  Committee  of  Fifty  got 
from  Walsh,  while  it  was  potential,  lessened  not 
the  suggestiveness  of  the  spectacle.  The  reform 
campaign,  in  the  end,  would  have  enforced  the  same 
lesson. 

Democracy  has  a  latent  power,  which  may  slum 
ber  or  be  constrained  for  almost  indefinite  periods. 
Its  vitality,  at  times,  may  seem  to  be  sapped,  and  the 
querulous  cries  of  a  few  of  its  professors  be  mis 
taken  for  the  dying  protests  of  a  once  commanding 
voice.  But,  so  long  as  democracy  obtains  in  name 
and  form,  there  is  an  abeyant  force  in  it  which  has 
to  be  reckoned  with.  In  a  day  and  a  night  it  may 
assert  itself,  and  strike  to  the  dust  those  who  think 
they  have  it  bound,  a  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  their 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  444 

personal  ambitions.  It  realizes,  in  time,  upon  the 
authority  and  resources  which  it  has  within  it  and 
which  make  it  ungovernable  in  the  supreme  moment. 

Its  temporal  rulers  rise  and  fall  by  virtue  of  the 
capacity  which  they  individually  acquire,  or  lose,  to 
assimilate  and  direct,  or  sunder  for  a  while,  the  units 
of  democracy.  They  never  can  disintegrate  or  per 
manently  emasculate  it.  They  spring  from  its  being ; 
they  exist  by  its  approval  or  indulgence.  They  are 
destroyed  by  its  word.  Their  fate  is  bound  up  in 
the  inertia  of  voters.  This  inertia,  once  overcome, 
the  mighty  tremble.  The  inert  element  is  some 
thing  like  a  big  rock,  set  firmly  in  its  bed,  ruggedly 
strong;  lending  negative  assistance  to  those  forces 
which  oppose  the  laws  by  which  it  exists;  passively 
permitting  itself,  at  times,  to  be  surmounted.  But 
its  foundations  it  never  surrenders.  The  man  who 
would  undermine  it,  in  the  end,  it  crushes  in  the  pit 
he  has  digged. 

It  was  this  element  in  the  body  politic  which  men 
aced  Jimmy.  Whether  he  had  tried  to  undermine  it 
must  remain  a  point  for  commentators  on  his  career. 
The  present  chronicle  can  but  state  that  it  threatened 
to  crush  him,  and  that  Jimmy  knew  as  well  as  any 
one  that  he  was  in  a  struggle  for  his  life. 

For  chronic  reformers  who  wanted  an  ideal  form 
of  government  without  the  work  of  governing,  who 
believed  that  "  politics  "  should  be  a  spontaneous  ex 
pression  of  the  preference  of  the  civic  mind,  un~ 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  445 

trammelled  by  party  policies,  free  from  the  dictation 
of  any  man  or  set  of  men  making  a  business  of 
leadership — for  such  reformers  Jimmy  had  little 
more  than  contempt.  His  reply  to  an  inquirer  who 
asked  him  how  he  accounted  for  reformers  was, 
"  Too  many  pegs  for  th'  holes."  His  experience  had 
been  to  prove  that  "  reforms  "  seldom  came  to  more 
than  a  waste  of  white  paper  in  the  printing  of  treat 
ises  on  "  The  Degradation  of  the  Rights  of  Citizen 
ship  "  and  kindred  subjects. 

But  they  were  not  chronic  reformers  who  now 
cried  out  against  his  domination  of  the  municipal 
service.  They  were  men  who  had  allied  themselves 
with  the  traitors  in  his  camp  for  a  specific  purpose. 
Many  of  them,  to  be  sure,  took  no  trouble  to  vote 
in  a  municipal  election;  yet  their  votes  were  their 
own,  and  not  to  be  reckoned  on  a  ward  tally-sheet. 
Jimmy  had  referred  to  these  voters  when  he  said,  a 
long  time  before,  "  Th'  votes  that  are  afraid  of  a 
rainy  day  are  th'  votes  that  sometimes  make  you 
curse  th'  sunshine." 

Walsh,  on  his  side,  had  many  difficulties  to  con 
tend  with.  The  most  disturbing  of  these  were  the 
result  of  the  defection  of  Showell.  It  was  to  count 
eract  the  disheartening  influences  which  this  deser 
tion  had  upon  his  personal  following  that  he  gave  a 
freer  rein  to  these  in  the  conduct  of  this  uncertain 
campaign. 

The  Committee  of  Fifty  had  been  opposed  to  any 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  446 

resort  to  the  customary  methods  of  exciting  popular 
enthusiasm.  Walsh  with  difficulty  had  made  the 
Committee  see  that  purely  literary  and  oratorical 
efforts  would  fail  utterly  with  one  class  of  voters 
whose  support  they  should  have.  He  forced  a  re 
luctant  consent  to  make  a  torch-light  campaign  so  far 
as  his  charges  were  concerned.  His  first  step,  there 
upon,  was  to  organize  what  became  known  as  "  The 
White  Umbrellas." 

"  The  White  Umbrellas,"  at  the  start,  enjoyed 
a  more  high-sounding  and  definite  title.  But,  with 
the  quick  appreciation  of  a  trained  politician  who 
had  uncommon  native  shrewdness,  besides,  Walsh 
seized  on  the  popular  appellation  which  part  of  the 
equipment  of  the  organization  at  once  earned  for  it; 
and,  as  "  The  White  Umbrellas "  it  was  known 
throughout  the  campaign. 

The  paraders  were  three  hundred  in  number,  each 
man  attired  in  ordinary  street  dress,  and  armed  with 
a  white  umbrella.  Bill  Brady  who,  despite  increas 
ing  years,  remained  as  active  as  a  cat,  led  this  march 
ing  club,  and  rejoiced  in  the  office  and  its  opportuni 
ties.  He  headed  it,  as  once  he  had  headed  a  com 
pany  of  troops  in  the  South,  with  dauntless,  chal 
lenging  front,  itching  always  for  a  fight,  managing 
to  make  one  often,  notwithstanding  many  cautions. 
Walsh  was  apprehensive  of  Brady's  leadership,  but 
was  alive  to  the  important  alliance  which  was  thereby 
cemented,  and  so  did  not  interfere. 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  447 

Jimmy's  men  at  first,  derided  the  spectacle  afforded 
by  "  The  White  Umbrellas."  They  hurled  words  of 
scorn  at  men  whose  heads,  they  declared,  were  too 
soft  to  stand  the  sunlight.  But,  by  and  by,  they 
discovered  that  even  a  white  umbrella  has  its  uses 
as  a  campaign  insignia  and  often  makes  a  capital 
rallying  banner.  So  trifling  are  the  things  which 
move  a  crowd!  Therefore,  Jimmy,  who  was  never 
averse  to  borrowing  a  good  idea  from  the  enemy, 
passed  the  word  that  a  black  umbrella  would  be 
supplied  to  every  man  among  his  own  followers; 
and  a  marching  club  was  formed  whose  designation 
became  "  The  Black  Umbrellas." 

From  the  day  on  which  this  organization  appeared 
on  the  streets  one  phase  of  the  campaign  was  a  per 
sonal  feud  between  the  White  and  Black  Umbrellas. 
Twice  there  were  clashes  which  left  in  the  gutters 
bunches  of  tangled  wires,  tattered  black  and  white 
ribbons  and  splintered  sticks  to  identify  the  quondam 
combatants.  But  no  one  was  hurt  seriously;  and 
Jimmy,  who  viewed  the  fights  with  keen  distrust, 
decided  not  to  call  his  men  off.  He  was  convinced 
that  he  would  lose  many  votes  by  preventing  his 
people  from  parading.  Yet  he  stood  ready  to  inter 
fere  the  minute  that  the  thing  took  on  a  more  violent 
phase. 

Jimmy  was  as  watchful  as  ever.  The  general  was 
always  uppermost  in  him.  His  face,  at  the  start, 
had  been  set  against  physical  persuasion  in  politics; 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  448 

his  opposition  to  violence  survived  the  temptation 
to  arouse  its  exponents  in  his  behalf.  Whether  in 
this  he  planned  for  the  future,  or  was  simply  deter 
mined  to  remain  true  to  his  principles,  is  not  certain. 
When  his  ideals  were  in  question,  he  was  inscrutable 
to  everyone  but  Kate. 

Showell  was  one  who  had  opportunity  to  know, 
yet  did  not  know  the  real  Jimmy.  Words,  to 
him,  were  what  they  spelled.  If  this  had  not  been 
so,  who  can  say  how  much  he  might  have  deduced 
from  Jimmy's  remarks  one  night,  in  that  memor 
able  autumn.  Showell  and  another  man  had  been 
in  Jimmy's  rooms.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
they  started  to  leave. 

Jimmy  was  standing  by  the  window,  drawing  into 
his  smoke-laden  lungs  great  draughts  of  the  cool 
night  air.  Suddenly,  he  said  to  the  other  two,  who 
were  taking  up  their  hats :  "  How  many  of  those 
fellows  out  there  are  really  worrying  about  who  wins 
in  this  fight?  Not  many  I  guess!  Yet,  it  means  a 
lot  to  them.  I  wonder  if  they  ain't  got  th'  best  end 
of  th'  thing,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  A  course,  they've  got  th'  best  of  it,"  grumbled 
Showell.  "  We're  workin'  an'  sweatin'  while  they're 
sleepin'.  I  wish  I  was  asleep  now,"  he  finished  with 
a  yawn. 

The  other  man  laughed,  and  said  lightly,  "  Get- 
tin'  tired  of  politics,  Jimmy?  It's  a  first-rate  time  to 
lay  down  an'  get  out." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  449 

Jimmy  turned  a  white  face  on  the  speaker.  His 
eyes  had  none  of  their  familiar  sparkle;  they  held  a 
curious,  wishful  expression. 

"  There's  worse  things  than  being  out  of  politics," 
he  said,  dropping  the  words  one  by  one.  Then  he 
turned  to  the  window  again.  He  was  looking  over 
the  house-tops  when  the  other  men  left  the  room. 

In  one  of  those  houses  toward  which  his  gaze  was 
directed  on  this  night  sat  Marcus  Doran,  alone,  try 
ing  to  decide  what  he  should  do.  His  action  hinged 
on  the  outcome  of  the  campaign,  now  within  three 
days  of  its  close.  If  Jimmy  won,  Marcus  was  sure 
of  what  his  course  should  be,  and  of  what  he  should 
enjoy.  But  he  was  exceedingly  dubious  of  the  effect 
of  a  defeat.  Moreover,  this  was  a  catastrophe 
against  which  he  should  prepare.  His  perceptions 
were  not  so  dull  that  he  did  not  realize  Jimmy's  ex 
tremity.  And  he  believed,  with  some  reason,  that 
the  political  downfall  of  the  latter  would  entail  his 
financial  ruin.  This  being  granted,  he  did  not  intend 
that  Jimmy  should  be  "  plucked  "  before  he  got  the 
share  of  the  spoils  which  he  regarded  as  his  own. 
There  still  remained,  however,  the  question  which 
for  several  weeks,  he  had  turned  over  in  his  mind : 
Was  it  wiser  to  wait,  and  hazard  his  chances  on  the 
result  of  the  election?  Or,  while  the  issue  was  yet 
unsettled,  strike  the  blow  which  must  be  his  last, 
and  secure  all  that  he  could  thereby  ? 

On  this  night,  as  he  lounged  in  the  sitting-room 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  450 

of  his  home,  he  reflected  on  the  situation  for  several 
hours,  and,  in  the  end,  decided  that  he  would  risk 
nothing.  Jimmy  should  be  made  to  pay  handsomely 
while  he  was  able  to  do  so. 

In  his  pocket  Marcus  had  a  slip  of  paper  which  he 
had  discovered  in  Kate's  desk  after  many  roundabout 
questions  and  a  long  search.  It  was  a  small  bit  of 
paper  with  a  few  words  scrawled  on  it,  but  he  be 
lieved,  with  good  reason,  that  it  was  something  for 
whose  return  at  least  three  people  would  give  a  great 
deal,  if  his  intentions  were  known.  It  had  been  in 
the  keeping  of  one  person  for  years.  Reflection 
upon  its  place  of  deposit  and  the  ignorance  of  its 
guardian  caused  him  much  amusement. 

With  it  in  his  possession  at  noon  on  the  following 
day,  he  walked  into  the  Bank.  He  spoke  through 
the  Cashier's  window  to  Jack,  "  I'd  like  to  see  you 
out  here  a  moment." 

Jack,  knitting  his  brows  at  this  unexpected  call 
and  request,  came  from  behind  the  netted  counter. 
They  walked  over  to  a  window  embrasure. 

"  I  want  you  to  get  me  th'  package  that  this  re 
ceipt  calls  for,"  said  Marcus,  tendering  the  slip  of 
paper. 

Jack  took  the  paper,  and  read  what  was  on  it.  He 
identified  the  handwriting  at  once,  and  knew  where 
the  package  called  for  was  to  be  found.  But  that 
increased  his  hesitation.  "  This  receipt  is  in  my 
mother's  name,"  he  said. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  451 

"  Exactly.  She  gave  the  package  to  Jimmy,  for 
me,  years  ago,  as  you  will  see  from  th'  date  there." 

"  She  must  call  for  it  herself,  then,  or  send  a 
written  release." 

"  No,  I  don't  want  her  to  know  anything  about 
it" 

Jack  folded  the  paper,  and  held  it  out.  "  Then 
I  can  do  nothing  for  you,"  he  said.  "  It  is  against 
Bank  rules  to  do  what  you  ask." 

His  father  was  looking  out  the  window,  and 
ignored  the  extended  receipt.  "  It's  what  I  expected 
you'd  say,"  he  remarked.  "  And,  I  suppose,  you're 
right.  "  But — ,"  he  paused,  and  jerked  his  head 
round;  "  I'm  in  trouble — a  bad  hole." 

Jack  waited  for  him  to  go  on,  but  he  did  not.  He 
had  turned  away  his  face  again.  "  What  is  it?" 
asked  Jack,  his  voice  uncompromising. 

"  Never  mind  what?  "  replied  his  father.  "  The 
thing  is  th'  papers  in  that  package  can  save  me.  If 
I  don't  get  them—" 

"Well,  what?" 

"I'll  go  to— jail;  that's  all."  He  gave  a  hard 
laugh.  Jack  started;  his  set  face  grew  more  pale. 

"  You  don't  like  th'  sound  of  that  eh?  "  said  his 
father.  "  It  's  th'  truth,  just  th'  same.  Th'  lam 
basting  I  got  when  I  was  a  candidate  for  Councils 
won't  be  a  marker  to  th'  things  they'll  say  if  I  'go 
up  '  for  a  couple  of  years.  And  you  and  your  tony 
friends—" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  452 

'l  They  are  not  concerned  with  this,"  Jack  inter 
rupted  swiftly.  There  was  a  glint  in  his  eyes. 

"  All  right,  leave  'em  out.  But  there's — your 
mother.  It  does  concern  her  a  little,  I  suppose." 

Jack  started  and  drew  in  his  breath  sharply. 
'  Yes,   your  mother,"  went  on  his   father.     "  I 
don't  think  she'd  worry  much  about  me,  but  it  isn't 
pleasant  to  have  a  convict  for  a  husband,  and — " 

'  You  don't  need  to  go  on.  I  understand :  I  have 
had  plenty  of  chance  to  learn  what  it  means." 

'Then  you'd  rather  get  th'  package  for  me?  I 
thought  so." 

"  I  can't  get  the  package,"  Jack  returned  slowly. 
"  This  receipt  is  Mr.  Devlin's  personal  acknowledg 
ment.  The  package  is  in  his  private  box  in  the  vault. 
He  is  out  of  town  to-day.  To-morrow  I  might — " 

"  That  won't  do  me  any  good,"  broke  in  Marcus 
roughly.  "  I'll  be  hauled  in  to-night.  Th'  story  '11 
be  all  round  town  to-morrow  morning." 

"  Then  I'll  get  you  the  money  if  that  will — " 

"  It  won't.  It  isn't  a  matter  of  money.  Th'  papers 
in  that  package  are  th'  only  thing  that'll  save  me." 

"What  are  they?" 

"What  are  they?"  For  an  instant  Marcus  was 
disconcerted,  then  a  sneer  exposed  his  teeth.  "  Do 
you  really  want  to  know?"  he  asked. 

There  was  a  diabolical  suggestion  in  his  voice  and 
expression  which  was  the  more  terrifying  because  it 
left  so  much  to  the  imagination.  Jack  recoiled  from 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  453 

vague  possibilities.  lie  felt  that  it  could  profit  him 
nothing  to  sound  this  new  depravity.  "  No,  no,  I 
don't  want  to  know  what  they  are,"  he  exclaimed. 
He  did  not  see  the  exultation  which  leaped  into  the 
face  close  to  his.  He  forced  himself  to  say,  "  But 
I  can't  get  them  for  you." 

"  You  mean  you  won't.  I  oughtn't  to  have  looked 
for  anything  else.  I  never  did  anything  for  you — 
much."  Marcus's  cringing  self  accusation  was  so 
despicable  that  Jack's  contempt  was  not  concealed, 
and  his  father's  temper  suddenly  got  the  upper  hand. 
"  All  right,"  he  said.  "  Stick  to  your  rules,  damn 
you!  But,  for  all  your  nice  airs,  you'll  have  a  jail 
bird  for  a  father.  And  your  mother, — she'll  thank 
you  for  helping  me  to  that."  He  flung  about  as  if 
to  go,  though  he  had  no  intention  of  giving  up  so 
soon. 

Jack  who  stood  with  white,  set  face,  staring  at  the 
bars  which  crossed  the  window,  drawing  the  slip  of 
paper  between  his  fingers,  seemed  to  hear  a  voice 
in  his  ear,  "Jack!  Jack!"  and  knew  it  for  his 
mother's.  He  wavered,  tried  to  remember  his  duty 
to  the  Bank,  and,  in  an  instant,  had  surrendered  to 
the  pleadings  of  his  heart.  He  looked  at  his  father. 
"If  I  get  this  package  for  you,  will  you  bring  it 
back  here  just  as  you  got  it?  "  he  said  in  a  whisper. 

'  Yes,  I  will,"  his  father  answered  quickly. 

".When?" 

"  In  two  days." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  454 

"You'll  give  me  your — ?     You  will  do  that?" 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you  won't  say  a  word  to  my  mother  or  to 
Mr.  Devlin?" 

"  Am  I  a  fool  ?  I  don't  tell  your  mother  any 
thing  I  can  help,"  he  added.  "  As  for  Jimmy,  don't 
I  want  to  stand  well  with  him  ?  "  There  was  con 
temptible  truth — brutal  candor  in  his  reply. 

"  Then  I  will  get  the  package.  Wait  outside," 
said  Jack.  His  tones  were  colorless,  weary;  but,  as 
he  turned  to  go,  he  finished  with  fierce  intensity,  "  If 
you  don't  bring  back  the  papers  safe — if  you  ever 
tell  anyone — I'll — "  His  voice  broke  with  the  strain. 
His  father  sneered  at  his  retreating  back. 

Jack  walked  over  the  marble  flagging,  unseeing, 
unhearing,  conscious  of  a  grip  upon  his  heart  and  of 
his  purpose.  He  had  the  receipt  crumpled  in  his 
hand.  He  walked  straight  back,  outside  the  railing 
and  to  the  little  office  near  the  Directors'  Room. 
No  one  gave  him  more  than  casual  attention.  It  was 
known  to  them  all  that  he  stood  close  to  the  President 
and  did  many  errands  for  him  of  a  personal  nature. 

And  Jack  did  stand  close  to  Jimmy — so  close  that 
he  knew  just  where  to  put  his  fingers  on  the  dupli 
cate  key  which  hung  beside  the  desk  before  which 
Jimmy  had  sat  a  few  hours  earlier.  He  took  the 
key,  and  went  toward  the  big  vault. 

No  one  was  within  it  and  no  one  near.     In  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  455 

corner  of  the  vault  he  found  the  tin  box  which  he 
sought.  The  incandescent  light  that  swung  from 
the  vault  ceiling  made  the  letters  on  the  end  of  the 
box  stand  out  boldly.  They  were  the  initials  of — ! 
He  paused,  and  drew  back  his  hand;  then  inserted 
the  key  in  the  key-hole  of  the  box  with  shaking 
fingers.  A  step  on  the  tiling  outside  made  him 
hurry.  He  picked  out  the  package  which  he  easily 
identified,  jammed  in  into  his  pocket,  closed  the  box, 
locked  it  and  shoved  it  back  into  its  place. 

He  glanced  at  the  doorway  of  the  vault.  No  one 
was  looking;  the  men  whom  he  could  see  at  their 
desks  had  their  heads  bent  over  their  books.  He 
walked  out  of  the  vault  and  to  the  door  of  the  Bank 
with  such  appearance  of  unconcern  as  he  could 
muster. 

Just  beyond  the  steps  outside  his  father  waited. 
Jack  shoved  a  large,  brown  envelope,  tied  with  tape 
and  strapped  with  rubber  bands  into  the  latter's 
hands. 

Marcus  satisfied  himself  by  a  glance  into  the  en 
velope  that  it  held  what  he  desired.  Then  he  put  it 
into  the  breast-pocket  of  his  coat,  buttoned  up  the 
coat,  and  fixed  on  Jack  a  pair  of  eyes  that  were 
gleaming  with  something  that  made  the  younger 
man  shake  as  if  palsied. 

"It's  all  right,"  he  said.  "You've  done  your 
father  a  good  turn."  He  wheeled  forthwith  and 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  456 

walked  down  the  steps  and  up  the  street.  Jack, 
staring  at  him,  suddenly  made  a  step,  and  opened 
his  lips.  But,  then,  he  halted,  and  the  cry  died  in  a 
hoarse  whisper,  "Wait!0 


CHAPTER  XXIV  457 

IT  was  the  night  of  election  day.     The  stars 
from  their  arch  of  purple  looked  down  upon  a 
city  which  was  a  blaze  of  lights,  surging  with 
crowds,  roaring  with  shouts  and  cheering.    The  polls 
had  closed;  the  counting  of  the  ballots  was  proceed 
ing.     Official  announcements  of  the  results  came  in 
slowly.     The  most  sanguine  on  both  sides  conceded 
that  the  outcome  of  the  election  was  in  doubt. 

The  thousands  who  swarmed  on  the  streets  had 
voted  and  were  eager  to  learn  the  result.  Two  great 
streams  of  men  poured  up  and  down  town  on  the 
popular  thoroughfare,  moving  because  they  had  so 
long  stood  still,  calling  to  one  another  in  sharp 
voices  strained  with  excitement,  harkening  to  every 
rumor  that  passed  from  lip  to  lip,  clustering  around 
some  curb-stone  orator  to  listen  to  his  harangue 
and  chaff  or  give  him  mock  applause.  Few  cared 
whence  they  went  so  long  as  they  were  on  the  streets 
and  at  hand  to  see  what  was  to  be  seen  and  hear  what 
was  to  be  heard. 

Most  of  the  shop  windows  on  the  street  level  were 
boarded  up.  From  the  upper  story  windows  looked 
down  many  women  and  men;  others  clung  to  cor- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  458 

nices,  and  fought  good-naturedly  for  places  on  the 
steps.  Electric  lights  everywhere  cut  sharp  circles 
of  white  on  the  pavements.  The  political  clubs  were 
illuminated  from  top  to  bottom.  On  their  fronts, 
or  suspended  across  the  street,  were  huge  transpar 
encies  and  banners  which,  for  weeks,  had  called  on 
all  good  citizens  to  rally  round  the  men  whose  names 
and  portraits  they  bore  in  glaring  colors.  From  the 
tops  of  these  buildings  and  from  upper  windows 
burned  red  fire;  now  and  then,  a  roman  candle 
spouted  colored  stars  upon  the  crowds. 

The  Union  Club,  biggest  of  all  these  clubs,  was 
packed  with  men.  It  hummed  like  a  great  hive. 
The  silhouettes  of  men  passed  and  repassed  the 
broad  windows.  Occasionally,  a  man  in  the  windows 
recognized  an  acquaintance  among  the  passers-by, 
and  called  to  him  to  come  up.  A  dozen  accepted  the 
invitation,  and  there  was  a  rush  on  the  club  door 
keeper.  A  shout  of  "  Fight !  "  brought  five  hundred 
men  about  the  spot  in  ten  seconds.  When  the  struggle 
was  ended,  and  the  invited  had  gained  entrance  or 
was  forced  away,  those  on  the  outside  pressed  hard 
for  a  while  on  the  circle  about  the  doorway,  and 
gaped  and  asked  questions;  then  were  caught  in  an 
eddy  of  the  human  tide,  and  whirled  away. 

A  shower  of  "  dodgers  "  from  some  hand  fluttered 
down  upon  the  heads  of  the  crowd;  and  a  hundred 
necks  were  craned,  and  there  was  much  pointing  and 
guessing  and  scrambles  for  the  circulars. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  459 

But  it  was  down-town,  around  the  newspaper 
buildings,  that  the  crowds  were  thickest  and  almost 
immovable.  For  half  a  block  on  either  side  of  these 
buildings  not  a  foot  of  open  pavement  was  to  be 
seen  from  above.  In  front  of  the  newspaper  offices, 
twenty  feet  in  air,  were  stretched  great  sheets  at 
an  angle.  On  these,  from  time  to  time  was  thrown, 
in  sprawling  black  letters,  the  message  of  a  stereopti- 
con  within  the  building.  Now  it  was : 

"  Six    Divisions — Twelfth    Ward — give : 
Committee  of   Fifty,   758;    Opposition, 
562." 
Or— 

"  Sixth  Ward  likely  to  give :    Committee 
of  Fifty  majority  more  than  800  votes." 
Or— 

"  Walsh  claims  Ninth  Ward  by  400  votes." 

With  the  appearance  of  each  of  these  announce 
ments  a  floor  of  black  hats  on  the  street  level  became 
a  sea  of  white  faces,  then  hats  were  thrown  up,  a  roar 
came  from  the  crowd.  Men  shook  hands  with  one 
another,  and  danced  impromptu  jigs,  or  whooped  for 
joy,  or  wagged  their  heads,  and  said,  "  It's  a  lie !  " 
or  "  What  rot !  "  Some  turned  to  strangers  to  say, 
"  Do  you  see  that?  What  did  I  tell  you?  "  "  Can't 
beat  us !  "  or  "  Wait !  Wait  a  while !  It's  not  over 
yet!  "  "  Don't  get  gay  too  early  in  the  day! " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  460 

Between  such  paroxysms  of  delight  or  disgust 
they  laughed  shortly,  or  shouted  jokes,  or  cheered 
as  some  cartoon  or  the  face  of  a  popular  man  slid 
into  the  disk  of  light  on  the  suspended  sheet.  A 
picture  upside  down  was  an  exquisite  bit  of  humor; 
the  edge  of  a  view  darkening  the  screen  and  with 
drawn  before  it  could  be  read  drew  out  a  long 
"O-o-h!" 

For  more  than  an  hour  these  crowds  had  stood 
and  waited  and  watched,  and  steadily  grown  larger, 
— jostled  by  newcomers  squeezing  their  way  to 
better  positions,  surging  forward  and  back  in  great 
waves  that  no  one  could  withstand  and  no  one 
seemed  to  start;  swearing,  now  and  then,  but  always 
good  naturedly.  The  fighting  was  left  for  other 
places  and  other  men. 

A  few  of  these  other  men,  some  of  them  with 
printed  muslin  badges  on  their  breasts,  some  with 
brass-buttoned  uniforms;  but  most  of  them  without 
either,  still  clustered  about  the  polling  places  where, 
since  early  morning,  they  had  been  at  work. 

Theirs  had  been  no  easy  day.  Prowling  the 
length  of  a  block,  scanning  every  approaching  figure; 
watching  one  another,  helping  a  voter  to  a  decision, 
now  by  a  quiet  conversation  at  one  side,  now  by 
more  material  means  of  persuasion ;  crowding  away 
some  skulker  by  threats  or  fists  or  both;  sending 
carriages  at  a  gallop  to  fetch  tardy  voters — thus  had 
passed  the  time  for  them. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  461 

In  a  few  places  where  this  was  the  day's  routine 
there  had  been  more  violent  scenes.  Once  there  was 
an  angry  altercation,  a  rush  of  three  men,  a  flash 
of  steel,  a  groan  and  a  fall.  Then  a  scuffle  with  a 
blue  uniform  in  the  storm  center;  afterwards,  a 
furiously  driven  wagon,  clanging  its  gong  at  ap 
proach  and  departure.  In  another  place  a  curse  and 
a  blow  had  prefaced  a  pistol  shot  and  the  summons 
of  an  ambulance,  before  which  the  crowd  divided, 
behind  which  it  swung  together  and  pressed  about 
the  white-jacketed  surgeon  as  he  bent,  and  did  his 
part. 

But  these  were  but  incidents — the  outcroppings  of 
passions  which  the  warnings  of  ward  leaders  had 
not  been  able  to  suppress  wholly. 

A  struggle  far  more  lasting  and  desperate  in  pur 
pose  went  on  within  the  polling  places.  There,  about 
long  tables,  sat  the  men  who  scanned  the  voting 
checklists,  and  handed  out  the  ballots,  and  watched 
the  little  curtained  boxes  where  other  men  signed 
political  death-warrants  with  a  black  cross.  Here 
were  the  resolves  of  weeks  carried  into  effect;  here 
were  friendships  rewarded ;  here  old  debts  paid ;  here 
old  scores  paid;  here  contracts  fulfilled.  In  these 
hundreds  of  little  boxes,  scattered  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  city  beat  the  political  pulse  of  a  million 
people;  and,  with  every  throb  almost,  the  heart  of 
some  man  was  made  to  leap  with  joy  or  ache  with 
disappointment. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  462 

When  darkness  had  come  down,  the  polling  places 
held  only  those  who  were  counting  the  ballots;  and 
no  one  could  say  which  side  had  the  better  of  it.  At 
ten  o'clock  the  result  was  as  uncertain  as  when  the 
polls  closed. 

The  voting  had  developed  a  rare  feature.  There 
had  been  but  two  tickets  in  the  field,  and  a  few  wards 
were  known  to  have  gone  one  way  or  another  by  safe 
margins.  In  three-fourths  of  the  remaining  wards 
the  fight  had  been  waged  with  uncommon  stubborn 
ness. 

The  Campaign  of  the  Committee  of  Fifty,  curi 
ously  enough,  had  had  its  most  conspicuous  suc 
cess  in  parts  of  the  city  which,  it  might  have  been 
thought,  would  oppose  all  efforts  at  political  reform. 
On  the  other  hand,  several  of  the  wards  whose  in 
habitants  were  mostly  of  the  refined  class  had  re 
fused  to  abandon  the  cause  which  Jimmy  and  the 
minority  party  seemed  to  them  to  represent. 

Such  idiosyncracies  are  what  make  an  election  in 
teresting  to  the  betting  man.  In  the  present  case, 
they  confounded  the  Committee  of  Fifty;  strength 
ened  Walsh  in  his  private  opinion  that  the  vitality 
of  reform  would  not  long  survive  his  prospective 
antagonism;  and  made  Jimmy's  glistening  eyes  elo 
quent,  as  he  sat  with  Showell,  and  got  the  returns 
by  a  system  which  outdid  in  despatch  the  normal 
methods  employed  by  the  reformers. 

It  was  Jimmy's  hour  of  physical  rest.    For  thirty- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  463 

seven  of  the  past  forty-eight  hours  he  had  been  on 
his  feet,  or  actively  engaged  in  consultation  and  the 
giving  of  orders.  Just  before  the  closing  of  the  polls 
he  had  begun  a  final  round  of  the  voting  places 
where  it  appeared  that  his  presence  and  a  judicious 
word  might  urge  obedient  servants  to  extra  en 
deavor,  stiffen  the  wavering,  and  warn  those  who 
plotted  treachery.  For  there  are  divers  ways  of  im 
proving  on  a  system  of  arithmetic  when  it  comes  to 
the  reckoning  of  votes.  All  the  judges  of  election, 
inspectors,  clerks  and  peace  officers  in  the  world  may 
not  prevent  the  use  of  this  improved  arithmetic 
under  certain  circumstances.  Seals  may  be  dupli 
cated,  ballot  boxes  may  open  to  deft  fingers,  even 
ballots  may  develop  at  will  damning  discrepancies 
in  the  marking,  or  vanish  in  thin  air,  along  with 

their  stubs, when  the  right  parties  are  in  charge 

of  the  undertaking.  Nor  was  Jimmy  blind  to  the  ad 
vantages  and  disadvantages  accruing  from  such 
legerdemain.  With  him,  an  election  was  something 
to  be  won. 

So  there  were  disputes  and  recounts  and  again 
disputes  behind  many  barred  doors.  Again  and 
again,  to  impatient  inquiries,  came  the  response, 
"  Not  yet  ready  to  report." 

Where  Jimmy  sat  men  came  and  went  without 
pause.  They  were  excited  or  affected  with  an  in 
difference  that  was  transparent.  They  said  a  few 
hasty  words  or  showed  sheets  of  paper.  Sometimes 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  464 

they  gesticulated  and  made  loud  remarks,  and  swore. 
Those  around  laughed  at  the  jokes  with  little  dry, 
disjointed  barks.  Nerves  were  pulled  tight.  The 
air  seemed  to  crackle;  suppressed  voices  smote 
sharply  on  the  ear.  Men  puffed  on  cigars  long  since 
extinguished.  They  slapped  one  another  on  the 
shoulder,  and  put  aimless  questions  which  no  one 
answered. 

Only  Jimmy  sat  back  in  his  chair,  one  short  leg 
hooked  over  the  other,  his  fingers  rolling  a  pencil, 
his  face  white,  but  unmoved.  He  was  not  smiling, 
but  his  eyes  were  feverishly  bright.  They  stabbed 
each  new-comer's  face,  and  often  extracted  his  mes 
sage  before  he  could  speak  it. 

Then  entered  Mat  Casey,  his  face  glowing,  stut 
tering  in  his  haste  and  joy. 

"Tis  ours!  T's  th'  iliction  we've— we've— 
won!"  he  cried.  "  Oi've  come  frum  th'  Tinth; 
Kelly  says  't  's  safe!  An'  th'  Twilfth's  ours,  too! 
An'  th'  Sixth,  an'  Four — Four-teenth,  as  will." 

Jimmy's  leg  came  down,  and  he  leaned  forward. 
It  seemed  as  if  a  burst  of  sunlight  radiated  from  his 
face.  Casey  stumbled  on. 

«  'T's  al— almost  certain  av  't  Oi  am.  Th'  Thir- 
rurd  Ward  's  comin'  'nt'  loine;  an'  th'  Fifth  an'  th' 
Twintysic— sicond  's—  loikely!  '  Th'  Black  Um 
brellas'  's  agatherin' !  They's  goin'  t'  par — parade ! 
They  won't  wait !  T's—" 

Jimmy's  momentary  exultation  had  vanished.   His 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  465 

eyes  were  searching,  demanding.  "  And  th'  Nine 
teenth?  th'  Twenty-third?  Eleventh?  Thirteenth? 
Second?  First?  "  he  rattled  off. 

Casey  checked  the  Wards  named  on  his  fingers. 
"  Nobody  knows  'bout  them — yit,"  he  said  reluct 
antly.     "  They's  sthill  at  th'  countin'." 
"And  th'  Seventh  and  th'  Eighth?" 
Casey  shook  his  head.     "  No  change  yit !  " 
Jimmy   straightened  up.     His  voice  was  sharp. 
"  It's  too  early,  then.     We  must  hear  first  from  th' 
Nineteenth   and  th'   Eleventh,   anyhow.      Find  out 
about  th'  Nineteenth!     Tell  Morley,  as  you  go  up, 
that  I'll  be  with  him  in  less  than  half  an  hour.     Be 
quick !  " 

Casey,  with  the  last  word,  was  at  the  door. 
Jimmy  already  was  reading  a  message  just  brought 
in.  His  brows  were  wrinkled  and  the  pencil  tightly 
gripped.  For  fifteen  minutes  messages  poured  in  on 
him  faster  than  ever,  by  word  of  mouth,  writing  and 
telephone.  With  each  one  his  face  grew  more  stern. 
The  last  one  he  threw  on  the  table,  and  sat  a  mo 
ment,  silent  and  motionless.  Then  he  turned  on 
Showell. 

'  Th'  Eleventh  and  Thirteenth  Wards  are  going 
against  us,"  he  said.  "  Th'  Seventh  looks  as  if  it 
would  go  th'  same  way.  I  must  see  Morley — at 
once.  Look  out  for  things  here !  You  know  where 
I'll  be  for  twenty  minutes.  Call  me  up — quick, — if 
you  need  me." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  466 

The  door  opened  and  shut;  he  was  gone.  A  cab 
was  at  the  door.  He  spoke  to  the  driver,  leaped  into 
the  vehicle,  and  was  rattling  along  to  the  headquar 
ters  of  Morley,  the  minority  leader. 

He  came  out  of  the  latter  place,  half  an  hour  later, 
and  halted  on  the  door-step.  Over  the  roof  of  a 
building  nearby  soared  a  fiery  trail  which  curved, 
stopped  and  dwindled  to  a  point,  then  burst  into  a 
shower  of  green  and  blue  and  red  and  yellow  comets 
which  spread  and  fell  into  the  darkness.  A  great 
yell  was  borne  faintly  to  his  ears  from  where  a  pale 
light  was  reflected  on  the  leaves  from  a  multitude 
of  arc  lamps. 

Jimmy  watched  the  falling  stars  until  they  had 
disappeared.  As  the  echo  of  the  shouting  died  away 
and  swelled  again  he  took  off  his  hat,  and  passed 
his  hand  across  his  forehead.  He  buttoned  up  his 
overcoat  with  fingers  that  fumbled.  His  face  was 
grim — grimmer  for  the  wraith  of  a  smile  which  flick 
ered  and  was  gone. 

Then  he  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  walked  away. 
At  the  first  corner  he  turned  into  a  street  that  was 
empty.  His  hands  were  thrust  into  his  pockets,  his 
head  a  little  bent.  So  he  walked,  almost  unconscious 
of  the  direction  he  took,  until  half  a  dozen  blocks 
had  been  covered. 

At  this  corner  he  looked  up,  struck  by  some  fa 
miliar  landmark;  and,  half  a  block  away,  his  glance 
fastened  on  one  of  a  row  of  two-story,  brick  fronts. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  467 

It  seemed  to  him  as  if  there  was  a  brass  plate,  shin 
ing  on  the  window  sill  there.  Perhaps,  it  was  to 
make  sure  of  this  that  he  continued  to  gaze  at  the 
house.  At  least,  the  grimness  melted  from  his  coun 
tenance  and  a  soft  light  suffused  it.  When  he  swung 
about  and  walked  on  it  was  almost  as  if  he  did  it 
against  his  will. 

Two  blocks  along  he  cut  into  a  tiny  street,  and 
saw  a  man  approaching  him.  It  was  Marcus  Doran, 
and  the  first  look  showed  Jimmy  that  the  other  was 
drunks  He  hesitated,  then  started  on,  skirting  the 
curb  line,  to  give  Marcus  a  wide  berth. 

But  Marcus,  when  close  to  him,  stepped  sideways, 
and  blocked  the  way.  "  I  know  where  you've  been," 
he  said.  '''  You've  been  to  see — her !  She  and 
you—" 

He  did  not  complete  the  sentence.  Jimmy  gave 
him  a  quick  push.  "  If  you  take  her  name  in  your 
dirty  mouth,  I'll  knock  your  teeth  down  your 
throat!"  he  exclaimed.  His  eyes  were  aflame,  his 
jaw  set;  he  threw  back  his  arm  to  strike. 

Marcus,  in  a  drunken  fury,  tried  to  reach  him; 
but  his  foot  caught  on  a  carriage  block,  and  he 
stumbled  and  fell  on  the  pavement,  cursing. 

Jimmy  looked  down  on  the  sodden  figure,  then 
spat  on  the  ground  in  disgust.  "  I'll  give  him  six 
months  more  at  this  rate,"  he  said. 

Ten  minutes  later  Jimmy  halted  a  man  who  was 
hurrying  by  him.  The  sound  of  a  band  playing  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  468 

march  and  of  cheering  came  from  a  distance. 
"  Who's  that  parading?  "  he  demanded. 

"  '  Th'  White  Umbrellas !  '  "  was  the  answer. 
"  They're  bound  down  town.  '  The  Black  Um 
brellas  '  are  paradin',  too.  There'll  be  some  fun  when 
they  meet."  The  man  flung  the  last  words  over  his 
shoulder  as  he  ran  on. 

Jimmy  instantly  started  in  the  same  direction  and 
tumbled  into  the  first  carriage  he  came  upon. 
"  Down  town  !  As  fast  as  you  can  go !  "  he  cried. 

"The  White  Umbrellas"  were  indeed  "out." 
Whatever  Mat  Casey  might  have  thought  to  the  con 
trary,  to  them  the  election  was  as  good  as  won  for 
Walsh.  Even  while  Jimmy  was  talking' to  Morley 
they  had  begun  to  march. 

Four  hundred  strong  they  started  from  their  club 
house,  and,  with  recruits  from  allied  organizations, 
had  seven  hundred  men  in  line  when  they  reached  the 
lower  part  of  the  city.  They  were  led  by  a  brass 
band,  and  carried  torches — a  heavy  stick,  surmounted 
by  a  swinging  can  of  oil  which  made  a  pillar  of 
smoky  fire  to  mark  their  march  and  a  handy  weapon 
with  which  to  enforce  their  possession  of  the  high 
way.  With  illuminated  signs  and  banners  they 
marched  through  two  of  the  principal  streets,  accom 
panied  by  a  cheering,  hooting  crowd  of  boys  and 
men.  And  no  one  disputed  their  passage. 

But  some  of  them  were  drunk  with  more  than  en 
thusiasm  and  some  of  them  were  anxious  to  do  more 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  469 

than  arouse  sympathy  for  their  cause  and  celebrate 
their  alleged  triumph.  There  was  fighting  blood  in 
plenty  under  those  white  umbrellas.  The  men  ached 
for  a  chance  to  work  off  superfluous  energy.  So  it 
happened  that  when  they  reached  the  broad  street 
down-town  which  separated  Jimmy's  stronghold 
from  the  Twelfth  Ward,  where  Brady  still  asserted 
himself  after  a  fashion,  there  was  trouble. 

Long  before,  word  had  reached  them  that  "  The 
Black  Umbrellas"  were  also  "out;"  and  were  to 
march  up-town  in  force,  crying  aloud  the  victory 
which  they  claimed,  sweeping  the  streets  from  curb 
to  curb  with  their  rejoicing  ranks.  Burning  with  de 
sire  to  meet  and  squelch  the  counter  demonstration, 
"  The  White  Umbrellas,"  at  the  double-quick,  crossed 
town,  and  made  for  the  street  up  which  their  rivals 
were  coming. 

Thus  it  happened  that,  at  the  moment  Walsh's  fol 
lowing  swung  by  tens  around  the  corner  of  this 
street,  Jimmy's  men,  two  blocks  further  down,  were 
approaching,  five  hundred  of  them,  carrying  lighted 
torches,  transparencies  ablaze,  fireworks  shooting 
stars  into  house  fronts — a  roof  of  black  umbrellas 
covering  them  all.  A  band  was  in  the  van;  a  tail 
ing  of  hangers-on  yelled  and  helped  to  make  the 
thing  a  "  go." 

An  old  Water  Works  employe,  a  veteran  of  a  hun 
dred  rough-and-tumble  fights,  led  the  column.  When 
he  saw  the  lights  of  "The  White  Umbrellas"  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  470 

gleam  of  savage  delight  wrinkled  his  countenance. 
Then  he  checked  his  desires,  remembering  Jimmy's 
orders,  cut  down  his  marching  front  to  five  men,  and 
took  one  side  of  the  street.  If  the  other  crowd  at 
tended  strictly  to  its  own  business,  he  told  himself, 
there  would  be  no  fight.  In  his  heart  he  knew  that 
this  was  like  drawing  a  chalk  line  between  two  bull 
dogs.  Behind  him  every  man  grasped  his  stick 
tighter.  A  chorus  of  derisive  cries  went  up  from 
both  sides. 

It  was  the  call  to  battle.  Brady,  in  a  carriage, 
surrounded  by  a  hundred  of  his  faithful  bullies,  fol 
lowed  the  last  line  of  "  The  White  Umbrellas  "  on 
this  night,  and,  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  illumination 
ahead,  he  was  out  of  the  carriage,  and  to  the  front, 
ready  to  uphold  the  honor  of  his  procession.  It 
was  an  ill-aimed  Roman  candle  which  gave  him  the 
chance  he  hunted  for. 

A  dozen  files  of  the  rival  paraders  had  passed  each 
other,  and  the  worst  had  been  cat-calls,  rough  jokes 
and  a  few  curses.  Then,  came  that  ball  of  red  fire 
sputtering  into  a  line  of  white  umbrellas,  and  the 
hour  of  action  was  arrived. 

The  men  hit  yelled,  and  the  nearest  of  them  struck 
out  with  their  torches.  Immediately  there  was  a  rush 
from  all  sides.  White  and  black  umbrellas  were  furled 
or  thrown  down.  With  torches  clubbed  the  men  fell 
on  one  another.  Brady  and  his  bodyguard  were  at 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  471 

the  fore  at  once,  and  bore  back  "  The  Black  Umbrel 
las  "  to  the  pavement. 

Then  came  the  employes  of  the  Water  Works  to 
the  rescue.  Fifty  hard-handed,  hard-headed  fellows, 
whose  joy  in  fighting  was  greater  than  all  else,  threw 
themselves  with  savage  lust  upon  the  lunging,  sway 
ing  mob  of  men,  split  it  up,  and  drove  the  fragments 
to  the  street. 

Brady's  voice  rose,  hoarse  and  maddened,  above 
all  others,  "  Give  'em  hell,  boys !  Smash  'em !  Smash 
'em!" 

And  back  came  the  challenge  of  the  old  Water 
Works  captain,  "  Pound  th'  life  out  uv  'em !  Give 
'em  one  fur  Jimmy!  Show  'em  how  we  do  with 
traitors!  Whoop  her  up!  Whoop  her  up!  " 

Like  a  pack  on  the  heels  of  their  leader,  the  Water 
Works  men  plunged  into  the  unbroken  ranks  of 
"The  White  Umbrellas"  just  behind.  Brady's 
forces  rallied  and  turned  on  the  foe.  From  all  sides, 
the  opposing  forces  closed  in.  A  yelling,  cursing, 
fighting  throng  of  a  thousand  men  surged  back  and 
forth.  Transparencies  were  pulled  down  and  tram 
pled  upon,  hats  smashed,  coats  ripped  from  backs. 
Here  and  there,  a  burning  stream  of  oil  marked  the 
spot  where  a  torch  had  burst  with  a  blow  and  taken 
fire. 

The  crowd  of  onlookers,  who  had  been  shouting 
with  the  loudest,  were  borne  back  against  the  build- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  472 

ings  on  either  side,  or  sent  flying-  up  and  down  the 
street.  The  half  dozen  policemen  who  ran  to  the 
spot,  were  swallowed  up  by  the  maw  of  the  mob,  then 
spewed  out,  clubs  gone,  uniforms  in  ribbons. 

Here  a  man  cried  out  for  mercy;  on  the  fringes  of 
the  press  crippled  figures  came  into  view,  crawling 
on  hands  and  knees  into  the  open  air.  But  mostly 
they  fought  and  cursed  and  fought  again.  All 
thought  of  political  differences  was  out  of  mind. 
It  was  a  maddened  desire  to  pay  back  a  blow  given 
that  drove  men  into  the  thick  of  the  mob ;  once  there, 
they  strove  to  save  themselves  and  make  their  mark 
on  the  nearest  enemy.  Bloody  faces  were  often  the 
target  for  friend  as  well  as  foe. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Jimmy  leaped  from 
his  carriage  at  the  nearest  corner,  and  came  upon  the 
outskirts  of  the  crowd  ringed  about  the  fighters. 
Under  the  electric  lamps  the  spectacle  was  clear  to  the 
vision.  He  jumped  on  a  carriage  block  and  ran  his 
eyes  over  the  mob.  He  halted,  uncertain  how  to 
begin  the  task  before  him.  Stopped  the  fight  should 
be  at  once,  he  was  determined.  But  how?  He 
knew,  once  he  threw  himself  into  it,  he  would  be  but 
one  of  them — a  straw  in  a  whirlpool.  To  shout  to 
them  was  to  waste  his  breath.  The  roar  of  their  yells 
and  the  struggle  deadened  every  ear. 

Then,  one  of  his  own  men  was  flung  bodily  out  of 
the  press  at  his  feet,  and  he  had  his  cue.  He  sprang 
upon  the  man,  and  grasped  his  arm. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  473 

"  No  more  of  this !  "  he  cried.  "  It's  got  to  stop, 
right  here!  Pass  th'  word  round!  I  want  every 
man  of  mine — in  line — about  me — there !  "  He 
pointed  down  the  street. 

The  man  he  spoke  to  scrambled  to  his  feet,  and 
stood,  dazed,  irresolute.  Then  he  saw  it  was  Jimmy. 
His  leader's  flashing  eyes  decided  him.  He  ran  to 
do  as  he  was  bid.  Jimmy  already  had  sprung  to 
another  of  his  men,  and  was  giving  him  his  orders. 
And  then  another  was  brought  to  a  sharp  halt  and 
sent  into  the  crowd  with  his  word,  and  another. 
These  men  fought  to  make  themselves  understood; 
again  and  again,  the  word  they  bore  was  heard  but 
to  be  driven  from  mind  by  a  crashing  blow.  But 
steadily  they  kept  at  it;  and  the  ranks  of  the  non- 
combatants  grew.  The  news  passed  swiftly  through 
the  crowd  now,  "  Th'  Boss  's  here !  We've  got  t' 
stop !  " 

Soon,  Jimmy  stood  the  center  of  a  hundred  pant 
ing,  bruised  and  bloody  men,  who  glared  at  the 
fighters,  and  made  feints  to  plunge  into  the  mob 
once  more.  Two  hundred  feet  away  the  struggle  still 
went  on,  but  dwindled  fast.  The  word  had  gone 
round;  Jimmy's  men  were  flocking  to  him  from 
every  side.  In  five  minutes  more  Brady's  bullies 
were  hunting  for  adversaries.  Jimmy  stood  in  front 
of  his  people,  and  made  short  work  of  every  attempt 
to  renew  the  fight. 

But  a  score  or  more  of  infuriated  fellows  pounded 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  474 

one  another.  In  one  spot  four  men  fought,  and 
above  their  heads  rose  and  fell  the  handle  of  a  torch. 
For  an  instant  the  four  men  were  separated  a  little, 
so  that  the  swinging  club  had  play.  In  that  instant 
it  drove  down  with  terrific  force  on  an  uncovered 
head.  The  man  it  struck  threw  up  his  arms,  and 
fell  at  full  length. 

Then  came  the  cry,  "Police!  Th'  cops!  Th' 
cops !  "  A  charging  squad  of  blue  coats  bore  down 
upon  the  scattering  fighters,  and  sent  them  flying. 

The  two  lines  of  quondam  combatants  fell  back, 
and  uncovered  a  wide  stretch  of  pavement.  Men, 
here  and  there,  sat  on  carriage  blocks  or  curbstones, 
and  held  their  heads  and  groaned.  A  dozen  lay  pros 
trate  and  were  ministered  to  by  companions,  or 
hauled  to  their  feet  and  dragged  away. 

But  from  the  little  knot  of  men  who  had  clustered 
about  the  spot  where  that  torch  had  been  swung  so 
savagely  there  came  a  cry.  It  was  a  cry  for  help,  in 
a  strong  voice.  Jimmy  heard  it,  and  his  heart  sank. 
He  thought  he  had  come  in  time  to  save  all  but  a 
few  broken  heads  and  bruises.  That  cry  told  him 
of  his  mistake.  For  it  meant  that  some  one  had 
come  upon  Death. 

With  a  word  to  his  men  to  stay  where  they  were, 
he  ran  to  the  spot  from  which  the  cry  came,  and 
thrust  himself  through  the  thickening  circle.  On 
the  asphalt  lay  a  man,  cheek  pressed  against  the  pav 
ing,  his  hat  beaten  down  over  his  head,  a  trickle 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  475 

of  blood  at  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  one  arm  out- 
thrown,  the  other  under  him,  clutching  at  his  shirt. 
Above  his  left  ear  showed  the  edge  of  a  deep  cut. 

It  was  dark  here;  most  of  the  torches  had  been 
lost;  the  shoulders  of  those  in  the  circle,  bending 
over,  shrouded  the  outstretched  figure. 

Jimmy's  face  was  white  as  he  stooped.  He  undid 
the  man's  coat ;  a  packet  slipped  from  the  coat  pocket 
under  his  hand.  He  picked  it  up,  and  put  aside  the 
vest,  and  laid  his  ear  against  the  breast.  He  re 
mained  bent,  listening,  until  he  was  sure  that  there 
was  no  heart  beat.  Then,  he  raised  his  head. 

"  Who  is  it?     Don't  you  know?  "  he  asked. 

No  one  answered.  He  called  for  a  torch.  The 
police  were  driving  back  the  crowd.  A  torch  was 
passed  over  the  circle.  Jimmy  turned  the  body  on  its 
back.  The  dead  man's  face  came  over  reluctantly 
into  the  glare  of  the  torch. 

It  was  the  face  of  Marcus  Doran. 


CHAPTER  XXV  476 

WAGONS  began  to  rattle  over  the  streets. 
Their  lights  bored  through  a  heavy  mist 
like  points  of  glowing  metal.  The  fig 
ures  of  men  early  astir,  loomed  gigantic  and  indefi 
nite.  A  pale  nimbus  encircled  the  electric  lamps. 
Now  and  then,  the  raucous  voice  of  some  derelict 
of  the  streets  was  raised  in  an  attempt  at  song,  and 
jarred  into  abrupt  silence  by  a  lurching  mis-step. 
The  pavements,  littered  with  torn  paper  and  cigar 
stumps  and  the  countless  odds  and  ends  which  mark 
the  trail  of  a  great  crowd,  were  greasy  and  glisten 
ing.  The  damp  cold  obscured  store  windows  behind 
which  burned  dully  the  night  lights.  It  spangled  the 
clothing  of  those  who  pushed  through  it  and  searched 
their  bodies. 

One  of  these  wayfarers  was  Jimmy.  Alone  he 
walked  slowly  toward  his  rooms,  his  face  almost 
hidden  by  upturned  coat  collar  and  hat  brim.  His 
stocky  figure  seemed  to  slouch,  his  step  had  none  of 
its  wonted  spring.  When  he  reached  his  door-step 
he  mounted  it  laggardly,  and  his  hand  groped  with 
the  latch-key.  With  the  door  open  he  remained 
facing  the  street.  Habitually  indifferent  to  the 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  477 

weather,  now,  in  a  vague  way,  he  felt  that  this  gray 
morning  fitted  his  state  of  mind  and  body. 

For,  on  this  morning,  Jimmy  stood  on  his  door-step 
a  defeated  man.  He  had  been  repudiated  by  those 
whom  he  had  come  to  think  of  as  his  own — stripped 
of  most  of  his  power,  a  boss  no  longer — a  figure  to 
be  pictured  as  the  triumph  or  pity  of  his  one-time 
mercenaries  might  dictate.  He  was  looking  at  a 
city  which,  a  few  hours  before,  had  declared  its  will 
at  the  polls,  and  chosen  to  declare  itself  free  of  his 
command. 

It  was  not  bitterness  that  filled  him  at  this  thought ; 
nor  yet  was  he  numbed  by  the  blow  he  had  got.  Long 
ago  he  had  taught  himself  the  futility  of  passive  re 
sentment;  his  was  not  the  temperament  which  is 
palsied  by  misfortune.  But  a  mastering  sense  of  his 
position  besieged  his  resolution  and  made  his  heart 
sore.  It  is  hard  to  bring  the  cup  to  the  lips,  and  have 
it  snatched  away;  it  is  harder  still  to  drink  of  the 
wine  of  success  only  to  come  upon  the  bottom  of  the 
measure  when  its  sweetness  is  beginning  to  realize 
the  anticipations  of  a  thirst  long  endured  for  the 
sake  of  this  draught,  and  which  nothing  else  may 
satisfy. 

Many  recollections  thronged  upon  Jimmy  as  he 
stood  on  his  door-step.  He  remembered  the  boast 
he  had  made  to  Kate  in  long-gone  years;  he  recalled 
the  events  which  had  marked  the  steps  of  his  march 
toward  that  dominant  place  which,  he  had  said,  he 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  478 

would  make  his  own.  Now,  these  happenings  mocked 
him.  They  did  not  seem  to  have  been  the  rewards  of 
toil  and  watchful  care  and  skill;  rather  they  were 
the  lures  which  had  drawn  him  on  to  ruin.  In  the 
glow  of  his  enthusiasm  at  one  time,  they  had  cast  ex 
aggerated  reflections  upon  the  veil  of  the  future — 
reflections  which  had  appeared  substantial  then  but 
which  now  he  saw,  were  but  will-o'-th'-wisps  that 
danced  ahead  of  him,  enticing  him  to  the  fatal  mis 
step. 

That  mis-step  he  had  made  when  he  left  the  path 
of  straight-dealing  with  those  who  shared  the  way 
with  him.  He  had  miscalculated.  He  had  not 
waited  till  he  was  strong  enough  to  overthrow  Walsh 
and  the  rest  in  open  fight,  and  so  cleared  the  road  to 
fame  for  himself.  He  had  tried  to  trip  his  enemies 
and  elude  their  vengeance.  They  had  repaid  him  in 
kind,  and  out-maneuvered  him  because  they  out 
numbered  him,  and  because  he  carried  a  burden, 
bound  to  him  by  his  heart-strings.  Yes,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  Marcus,  he  reflected,  he  might  have  kept  his 
feet,  and,  even  when  he  stumbled,  have  recovered 
himself,  and  won  his  way  back  to  firm  ground.  But 
— now?  The  burden  was  removed  from  him;  but 
— it  was  too  late.  His  enemies  would  press  him 
down,  and  seek  to  make  an  end  of  him. 

Perhaps,  the  situation  did  not  express  itself  to 
Jimmy  in  these  terms,  but  they  interpret  his  posi 
tion  adequately.  When  he  stepped  inside  the  house 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  479 

and  walked  wearily  upstairs,  he  was  repeating  to 
himself,  "  The  investigation  of  th'  Water  Trust 
comes  next !  They'll  never  stop  till  they've  tried  their 
hands  at  showing  me  up."  The  embers  of  his  reso 
lution  flared  at  this  thought.  "  And,  maybe,  that's 
where  they'll  fall  down!"  he  added  silently.  Then 
he  threw  off  his  overcoat,  and  something  fell  from 
it  to  the  floor. 

He  stooped,  and  picked  it  up.  It  was  a  long, 
brown  envelope,  tied  with  tape.  His  brows  were 
drawn  together  in  the  effort  to  identify  it.  Sud 
denly,  he  remembered  that  this  was  what  had  slipped 
into  his  fingers  when  he  bent  over  Marcus's  body. 
He  turned  it  over,  and  saw,  written  across  one  end, 
Kate's  name  and  a  date. 

Instantly,  he  recognized  the  envelope  and  knew 
where  it  had  come  from  originally.  But  that  only 
furnished  him  a  greater  puzzle. 

He  remembered  the  day  on  which  Kate  had  handed 
it  to  him.  "  A  paper  of  mine,"  she  had  said.  "  Won't 
you  put  it  where  it'll  be  safe?  " 

He  had  pocketed  the  envelope  with  a  "  Certainly." 
Even  her  low-spoken,  "  Once  upon  a  time,  I  used 
to  read  it  over  most  every  day,"  did  not  fix  his  at 
tention.  His  mind  was  very  busy  at  the  time  with 
an  important  errand  of  his  own.  Kate's  words  he 
had  put  into  one  of  these  mental  pigeon-holes  in 
which  he  stored  whatever  he  might  wish  to  refer  to 
later.  There,  like  the  envelope  which  she  gave  to 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  480 

him  and  which  he  promptly  put  into  his  private 
box  at  the  Bank,  they  had  lain  for  years.  He  had 
given  her  a  receipt  for  the  envelope,  scrawled  on  a 
slip  of  paper  in  his  own  handwriting  and,  after 
wards,  thought  no  more  on  the  happening. 

But,  like  the  packet  now  in  his  hands,  Kate's 
words  were  distinct  to  him  at  this  moment.  He  be 
gan  to  wonder  what  they  had  signified.  What,  too, 
was  in  this  packet  which — which  had  been  in  the 
vault  at  the  Bank  when  last  he  saw  it,  and,  yet,  a 
few  hours  ago,  was  in  Marcus's  pocket?  How  did 
it  leave  the  Bank?  Why  was  Marcus  carrying  it 
with  him  ?  Did  Kate  know  ? 

He  turned  the  envelope  over  again,  and  tried  to 
make  a  guess  at  what  it  held.  Instinct,  rather  than 
any  process  of  reasoning,  at  last  overcame  his 
scruples.  With  the  feeling  that  what  he  did  was  for 
her  sake,  he  untied  the  envelope,  raised  the  flap,  and 
slid  out  the  enclosure.  It  was  of  parchment  paper, 
folded  several  times.  It  was  legibly  inscribed  on  the 
back  with  names  and  a  date  and  a  statement.  To 
Jimmy  it  revealed  everything. 

So  overwhelming,  though  so  simple  was  this  rev 
elation  that,  for  a  minute,  he  remained  staring  at  the 
paper  which  shook  in  his  hand,  incredulous,  almost 
uncomprehending.  As  the  full  meaning  of  it  dawned 
on  him,  a  great  rush  of  joy  flooded  his  heart.  The 
blood  leaped  to  his  cheeks,  his  haggard  eyes  glowed. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  481 

He  grasped  the  paper  tightly  with  both  hands,  de 
vouring  it  with  his  gaze. 

No  other  document  could  have  held  for  him  the 
title  to  such  happiness  and  relief.  For  here  was  the 
warrant  of  Kate's  immunity  from  the  danger  from 
which  he  had  long  sought  to  shield  her  by  the  sacri 
fice  of  himself  and  his  hard-earned  power!  Here 
was  an  affidavit  to  the  lying  craft  with  which  Marcus 
Doran  had  tricked  him  and  wrung  from  him  bribes 
at  will!  Here  was  testimony  to  the  slenderness  of 
the  thread  which  suspended  over  Marcus's  head  a 
weapon  that  would  have  made  him  impotent,  had 
Jimmy  known  of  its  existence ! 

It  was  Kate's  marriage  certificate,  filled  in  and 
endorsed  by  the  "  runaway  marriage  minister,"  Old 
Mayers,  now  long  since  dead. 

The  minutes  sped  swiftly  by  while  Jimmy  held 
that  precious  paper,  and  his  heart  throbbed  its  thanks 
giving.  There  was  no  place  in  his  mind  for  the 
questions  which  the  paper  raised  and  left  unan 
swered;  even  the  sting  of  his  own  defeat  was  un- 
felt  just  then.  When  he  slipped  the  certificate  into 
its  envelope  and  tied  the  strings  about  it  and  put  it 
away,  he  was  thinking  only  of  Kate.  And,  again 
and  again,  she  seemed  to  lay  a  soothing  hand  on  his 
brow  as  he  tossed  on  his  bed  and  struggled  with  the 
tormenting  recollections  of  his  overthrow,  until  ex 
haustion  drew  him  into  the  chambers  of  sleep. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  482 

The  sun  had  but  burned  the  mist  aWa~y  when  he 
was  dressed  and  on  the  street.  He  knew  that  the 
"  waiting-room  "  down-town  must  already  be  packed 
with  men.  As  he  faced  the  situation  now,  gladdened 
by  something  in  the  breast-pocket  of  his  coat,  and 
with  body  invigorated  by  rest,  he  saw  his  way  more 
clearly. 

First  of  all,  friends  and  foes  alike  should  see  him 
erect  and  undismayed.  His  enemies  should  have  no 
reason  to  doubt  his  determination  to  keep  up  the 
struggle;  his  friends  should  be  convinced  that 
whatever  his  course,  his  heart  was  strong,  his  brain 
as  clear  and  active  as  ever.  Already  he  had  made  his 
plans  and  shaken  from  him  fruitless  questions  and 
regrets.  Before  dawn  he  had  fought  it  all  out  with 
himself.  There  was  to  be  no  wavering.  It  was  to 
be  work,  work,  with  all  of  his  old-time  vigor  and 
skill. 

So,  with  quick  step  and  a  face  on  which  was  reso 
lution  and  cheerfulness,  he  left  his  home,  and  turned 
toward  Kate's  house.  First  of  all  he  must  see  her. 
Though  she  could  have  felt  little  of  real  sorrow  be 
cause  of  Marcus's  death,  there  might  be  much  which 
he  alone  could  do  for  her  at  this  time.  He  had  been 
the  one  to  tell  her  of  Marcus's  death,  and  give  the 
orders  which  were  needed.  Jack  had  stood  by  her, 
his  arm  around  her  shoulders,  and  held  her  closely 
to  him.  Jimmy  had  left  them  thus.  The  lingering 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  483 

pressure  of  Kate's  hand  had  been  the  messenger  of 
her  gratitude  and  trust. 

This  morning  she  saw  him  again;  and  the  few 
minutes  that  he  remained  with  her  were  of  the 
hardest  in  his  experience.  Marcus  seemed  to  stand 
between  them  in  death,  as  he  had  never  been  able  to 
do  in  life.  The  indescribable  stillness  of  the  house 
forbade  words.  Jimmy  thought  that  Kate's  grave 
eyes  rested  on  him  with  gentle  reproach.  His  aver 
sion  to  hypocrisy  made  him  uneasy  with  himself; 
for  his  silence  seemed  to  imply  that  he  mourned  for 
Marcus.  He  could  not  force  himself  to  speak  a 
sympathy  which  he  did  not  feel ;  and  to  say  anything 
else,  he  understood  would  be  untimely.  So,  with  his 
heart  crying  for  voice,  he  spoke  a  few,  blundering 
words,  pressed  Kate's  hand,  and  told  her  he  would 
come  again. 

As  he  closed  the  street  door  behind  him,  the  long 
crape  at  the  bell-pull  was  blown  across  his  breast.  He 
started  back,  and  loosed  himself  from  its  clasp  vio 
lently.  A  healthy  repugnance  to  its  touch  was  tinged 
with  a  subtler  feeling — partly  awe,  partly  a  fancy 
that  Marcus  laid  a  hand  on  him. 

But  clear  sunshine  and  crisp  air  soon  dissipated  his 
lurking  depression,  and  he  plunged  into  the  work 
before  him  with  a  heartiness  that  surprised  the  most 
devoted  of  his  followers. 

"  Fhlat  on  their  backs  these  r' formers  '11  be  b'fore 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  484 

they  know  th'  offices  they  's  runnin'  fur !  "  was  Mat 
Casey's  enthusiastic  aside  to  another  Ward-man  that 
afternoon.  "  A  board  wid  buttons  an'  lacers  an' 
shuspinders  '11  be  Walsh's  job  this  toime  three 
years !  "  he  added.  "  An'  't  's  mesilf  '11  contribute  a 
little  dog  t'  lade  him,  whin  that  toime  comes ;  fur  't 's 
sorry  Oi  do  fale  fur  th'  bloind !  " 

Jimmy,  overhearing  a  part  of  this  prophecy, 
smiled,  but  made  no  comment. 

He  was  not  smiling,  three  mornings  later,  how 
ever,  when  he  called  Jack  into  his  office.  Outwardly 
he  was  calm ;  inwardly  he  wrestled  with  an  ugly  con 
viction.  He  told  Jack  to  close  the  door,  and  sit  down. 
Then  he  asked,  "  Did  you  ever  see  that  before?  " 

Jack's  look  dropped  and  his  cheeks  burned,  then 
paled,  at  sight  of  the  long,  brown  envelope.  He  did 
not  reply  at  once.  He  was  arguing  with  himself. 
And  Jimmy  knew  that  he  was,  arrd  did  not  help  him 
out.  But,  when  he  said,  "  Yes,"  in  a  low  voice, 
Jimmy  replied,  "  I'm  glad  you  said  that.  I  was  al 
most  certain  that  you  had  seen  it.  You  took  it  from 
my  box  in  th'  vault;  didn't  you?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  you  know  what  it  was  ?  " 

"  No !  "  he  answered  quickly.  He  repeated  earn 
estly;  "  No,  I  didn't  know  what  it  was." 

"  Why  did  you  give  it  to — him  ?  " 

"  He — my  father  ?  He — said  he  had  to  have  the 
papers  in  it,  for  some — legal  business." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  485 

"  Th'  papers  didn't  belong  to  him." 

"  He  had  the  receipt  for  the  package —  "  Jack 
halted  conscious  of  the  futility  of  the  plea. 

"  You  had  no  right  to  give  up  th'  package,  receipt 
or  not,  except  to  th'  depositor,"  replied  Jimmy. 
"  But  let  that  go  for  th'  present.  Where  is  th'  re 
ceipt?  I've  looked  over  th'  files,  and  I  can't  find  it. 
Besides,  this  envelope  was  taken  from  my  private 
box,  and,  I  don't  think  anyone  but  you  know  where 
I  keep  th'  duplicate  key  to  it.  That's  why  I  sent  for 
you.  Where  is  th'  receipt?  " 

Jack's  hands  were  clenched.  He  said  almost  defi 
antly;  "Here  it  is." 

Jimmy  took  the  slip  of  paper,  gave  it  a  glance  and 
winced.  "  Why  didn't  you  file  this?  "  he  asked. 

"  Because — because "  His  voice  died  away 

in  a  whisper. 

Jimmy  could  not  see  his  face,  and  repeated  his 
question.  Still  he  got  no  reply.  Then  -he  realized 
that  the  other  was  afraid  of  the  truth,  and  his  mind 
busied  itself  with  furnishing  a  reason  for  this  fear. 
Did  Jack  know  what  was  in  the  envelope?  Had 
he  connived  at  the  plot?  He  drove  the  thought 
from  him.  But,  for  a  while,  he  could  hit  upon  no 
clue ;  and  Jack  did  not  assist  him.  All  at  once  he  re 
membered  that  Jack  had  said  he  did  not  know  what 
was  in  the  envelope.  "  Did  not,  but  perhaps,  was 
told  by  his  father  afterward,"  his  mind  suggested. 

In  a  flash,  he  reproduced  the  situation  as  supplied 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  48l> 

by  his  knowledge  of  Marcus  and  his  plot.  Jack 
had  been  persuaded  into  securing  the  envelope  for  his 
father  and,  then,  had  been  told  enough  by  the  latter 
to  throw  him  into  a  panic.  Horrified  by  his  father's 
veiled  threats,  he  had  not  known  which  way  to  turn. 
So  he  had  kept  the  secret.  Now,  he  was  fearful  lest 
it  should  be  wrested  from  him,  and  come  to  his 
mother's  ears. 

Broken  bank  regulations  and  Jack's  weakness  were 
forgotten  as  Jimmy  pictured  the  young  fellow's  ter 
ror,  and  realized  that  it  was  love  for  his  mother  which 
had  swayed  him.  His  heart  went  out  to  the  figure 
opposite  to  him.  If  he  had  reflected  further  it  would 
have  been  to  wonder  at  himself  for  harboring  those 
ugly  suspicions.  Instead,  he  extended  both  hands, 
and  spoke  right  out. 

"  Jack,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice ;  "  Jack,  come 
here !  " 

Jack  got  up,  and  came  over.  He  was  astounded 
by  this  changed  front.  But  his  relief  was  none  the 
less  intense.  He  saw  that  something  which  he  did  not 
understand  had  saved  him,  and  shame  smote  him  as 
Jimmy's  fingers  gripped  his,  and  Jimmy  spoke  from 
his  heart,  "  You  don't  need  to  tell  me  anything.  I'm 
satisfied — more  than  satisfied.  You're  your  mother's 
own  son.  .  .  .  Think  of  her  always;  you  can't 
better  that." 

Jack  felt  his  hand  released,  and  stood,  for  a  mo 
ment  unable  to  shake  off  his  bewilderment 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  487 

Nor  did  his  silence  seem  strange  to  Jimmy,  who 
thought  he  knew  what  held  him  speechless.  "  That's 
all  right,  my  boy,"  he  went  on.  "  I'll  keep  th'  receipt, 
and  put  it  back  in  th'  envelope — where  it  belongs. 
No  one  else  '11  know  about  it.  I'll  let  'em  think  I 
made  a  mistake.  You'd — better  go  now.  They'll 
begin  to  wonder  outside  what's  going  on  in  here." 

Jack  went  slowly  out  of  the  office.  He  was  still  in 
a  daze. 

But,  if  he  had  but  known  it,  nothing  that  he  could 
have  done  or  said  would  have  deepened  the  im 
pression  of  his  innocence  and  nobility  as  did  his  un 
responsive  attitude.  For  Jimmy  understood  that 
there  were  feelings  too  sacred  to  be  uncovered.  He 
had  hugged  one  such  feeling  to  his  own  breast.  He 
knew,  too,  that  there  were  purposes  which  lie  close 
to  the  heart,  and,  sometimes,  never  are  revealed, 
though  they  be  the  springs  of  the  most  momentous 
actions.  Since  he  first  identified  his  ambitions,  he 
had  kept  watch  and  ward  over  such  purposes — most 
often,  to  have  them  declare  themselves,  when  the 
time  was  ripe,  in  the  successes  of  his  political  career ; 
occasionally,  to  have  them  come  to  naught,  and  be 
abandoned.  Only  once  had  he  allowed  such  a  secret 
to  be  stolen  from  him,  and  that  had  been  calamitous. 

It  was  to  lessen  the  scope  of  this  calamity  and  to 
carry  himself  through  its  consequences  with  such  of 
the  honors  of  war  as  he  might  compel  that  Jimmy 
bent  his  energies  during  the  month  that  followed 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  488 

his  sweeping  defeat  at  the  polls.  His  term  as  a 
Water  Works  Trustee  did  not  expire  for  a  year;  he 
retained  a  grip  on  City  Councils  through  the  mem 
bers  of  that  body  who  had  yet  a  year  to  serve.  These 
agencies,  he  was  determined  should  confront  and 
confound  his  enemies  in  their  next  move — the  in 
vestigation  of  the  WTater  Trust. 

Therefore,  after  Marcus  had  been  quietly  buried, 
and  he  had  assured  himself  that  Kate  was  provided 
for,  he  was  again  to  be  found  daily  in  "  Back."  To 
all  who  came  there  he  was  still  "  Th'  Boss." 

Some  of  them,  like  Casey,  were  staunchly  true  to 
him,  and  believed  that  he  would  regain  all  of  his  old 
power.  There  were  others  who  feigned  a  like  faith 
because  it  suited  their  immediate  plans,  or  because 
they  were  afraid  to  offend — just  yet.  Jimmy  mis 
understood  none  of  these  persons ;  neither  did  he  tax 
them  with  infidelity.  He  handled  them  fearlessly, 
but  with  extreme  care.  His  trustfulness  was  one  of 
his  beautiful  qualities.  But,  sometimes,  when  one  of 
the  sycophants  had  left  him  and  he  was  alone,  his 
lips  would  be  pressed  upon  each  other,  and  he  would 
sit  motionless  for  a  time,  with  wishful  eyes  fixed 
upon  something  that  must  have  been  far  beyond  the 
grimy  walls,  ten  feet  away. 

For  all  of  these  periods  of  abstraction,  however,  he 
was  active  and  resourceful  when  others  were  by ;  and, 
when  the  demand  came  for  an  investigation  of  the 
Water  Works  which  he  still  dominated,  it  was  met 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  489 

with  a  resistance  so  stubborn  and  skillful  as  would 
have  discouraged  any  attack  less  general  and  resolved 
than  that  actuated  by  insulted  public  sentiment.  As 
it  was,  the  reformers  placarded  the  city  with  the  de 
mand,  "  Down  with  Devlin  and  the  Water  Trust !  " 
Three-fourths  of  the  newspapers  repeated  this  in  their 
headlines  daily;  it  was  in  the  mouth  of  every  orator 
who  spoke  for  reform.  To  those  few  who  knew 
Jimmy  in  his  private  character  and  had  miserably 
soft  hearts  it  sounded  like  the  baying  of  hounds  on 
the  trail.  They  cursed  the  men  who  uttered  it. 

But  Jimmy  didn't.  His  smile  was  a  little  bitter, 
his  words  quiet ;  his  acts  defensive.  He  matched  peti 
tions  for  an  investigation  of  the  Trust  by  City  Coun 
cils  with  mass  meetings  which  passed  resolutions  of 
confidence  in  his  honesty  and  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  never  had  the  water  supply  been  so  plenti 
ful  and  pure  and  the  politeness  of  the  Trust's  em 
ployes  so  marked  as  since  J.  Devlin  became  a  trustee. 
In  truth,  it  had  been  Jimmy's  endeavor  from  the  first 
to  effect  this.  It  was  a  bit  of  advice  he  was  fond  of 
giving  those  in  his  confidence,  "  Throw  a  bone  to 
save  th'  meat." 

The  time  came,  however,  when  the  resolutions  in 
troduced  into  City  Councils  could  no  longer  be 
"  tabled  "  and  "  referred."  Then  Jimmy  came  out  in 
a  statement  to  the  public. 

"  The  Water  Trustees,"  he  said ;  "  had  nothing  to 
be  ashamed  of.  Their  work  refuted  the  charges. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  490 

However,  it  was  time  these  charges  were  silenced. 
Therefore,  they  appealed  to  City  Councils  to  make 
an  investigation  of  the  Water  Works  and  its  man 
agement." 

"  And  let  the  investigation  be  a  thorough  one,"  he 
was  quoted  as  adding — in  the  name  of  his  fellow 
trustees.  "  The  Trust  challenges  its  defamers.  It 
has  nothing  to  conceal." 

City  Councils  responded  at  once.  The  investiga 
tion  was  entrusted  to  a  committee.  All  through  that 
Spring  this  committee  continued  its  investigations. 
During  the  Summer  it  adjourned  its  labors.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  following  winter  the  end  came 
suddenly. 

One  day  in  November  Peter  McCall  of  the  Fourth 
Ward,  who  was  Chairman  of  the  Investigating  Com 
mittee,  walked  into  Jimmy's  office.  His  face  was 
glowing.  He  held  out  several  folded  sheets  of 
paper.  "  Th'  findin's  of  tlr  Committee;"  he  said 
laconically,  and  sat  down. 

Jimmy  spread  out  the  papers,  and  read  them 
through  slowly.  Then  he  thrust  out  a  hand  to 
McCall ;  and  that  portly,  bewhiskered  gentleman  took 
it,  and  was  satisfied.  "  Carried  by  one  vote !  "  he 
explained. 

"Craig's?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Well, — he  was  worth  all  he  got.  He  said  that 
he  held  his — opinions  high — and — he  did." 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  491 

When  McCall  had  gone;  Jimmy  wrote  a  dozen 
words  on  a  sheet  of  paper,  put  it  into  an  envelope, 
addressed  it,  and  called  a  messenger  boy.  Twenty 
minutes  later,  Kate  got  the  note,  and  read: 

"  Councils  Committee  finds  nothing  wrong  with 
the  Water  Trust  or—  J.  DEVLIN/' 

That  afternoon  all  the  city  heard  this  news,  and, 
for  three  clays  talked  about  little  else.  Then,  it  got 
another  piece  of  news  which  astounded  it.  It  took 
the  form  of  a  statement  in  the  newspapers,  over 
Jimmy's  signature. 

Jimmy  had  resigned  from  the  Water  Trust,  and 
retired  from  politics. 


CHAPTER  XXVI  492 

FEW  of  Jimmy's  friends  ever  understood  clearly 
his  sudden  retirement  from  politics.  His 
statement  in  the  newspapers  was  brief  and 
unsatisfactory.  It  supplied  only  the  inexplicable 
reason  that  interests  "  outside  of  politics  "  demanded 
all  of  his  attention.  These  interests,  it  was  agreed, 
were  largely  represented  by  the  Union  Bank.  But, 
as  he  had  been  President  of  that  institution  for 
many  years,  the  explanation  seemed  scarcely  ade 
quate. 

Jimmy  himself  was  non-committal.  He  said  that 
he  had  said  all  that  he  had  to  say  in  his  public  state 
ment.  There  the  personal  inquiry  ended.  But  some 
of  those  who  knew  him  little  whispered,  "  Th'  Old 
Man's  breaking  down,  and  knows  it."  A  few  credited 
him  with  the  unworthy  motive  of  saving  his  skin 
at  the  expense  of  others. 

They  all  knew  that  the  big  battle  with  the  reform 
element  was  not  ended;  that  the  vindication  of  the 
Water  Trust  had  been  a  case  of  "  whitewashing  " 
which  would  not  satisfy  its  opponents.  When,  two 
years  later,  the  Legislature,  having  been  appealed  to, 
passed  a  special  act  giving  the  city  a  new  charter  by 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  493 

which  the  Water  Trust  was  abolished,  there  were  a 
good  many  who  once  had  sworn  by  Jimmy,  to  say, 
"  I  told  you  so !  Jimmy  knew  when  to  get  out.  He 
wasn't  worryin'  about  th'  rest  of  us." 

But  there  were  those  who  never  believed  this  or 
other  calumnies.  They  stoutly  defended  Jimmy,  and 
asserted  that  he  had  always  dealt  fairly  by  those  who 
dealt  fairly  by  him.  Yet,  even  they  had  to  confess 
that  he  furnished  them  with  a  puzzle.  Retirement 
under  fire  had  not  been  his  habit ;  retreat  was  a  note 
which,  as  a  politician,  he  had  seldom  sounded.  It 
was  his  opinion,  "  No  fight's  over  till  th'  enemy's 
left  th'  field." 

What  Jimmy's  own  ideas  were  he  never  told  to 
any  one  in  so  many  words.  Yet,  there  were  things 
he  said  and  did  which  might  have  thrown  light  on 
the  question,  if  interpreted  by  one  who  knew  him 
very  well.  Perhaps,  Kate  came  near  to  guessing  the 
whole  truth. 

For  two  days  after  he  had  announced  his  retire 
ment  from  politics  he  did  not  get  the  chance  to  see 
her.  Almost  every  minute  of  this  time  was  occupied 
in  making  his  retirement  a  fact.  For  several  weeks 
he  had  been  quietly  preparing  for  the  move,  but,  as 
he  kept  his  intentions  a  secret  until  the  last  moment 
there  remained  a  great  many  things  to  be  attended  to, 
a  great  many  men  to  see,  and  a  great  many  ques 
tions  to  answer.  "  I  want  to  leave  a  clean  board/* 
he  said.  And  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  effect  this. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  494 

Then,  one  evening,  he  saw  far  enough  ahead  to  turn 
aside,  and  he  went  to  Kate. 

He  had  sent  word  that  he  was  coming,  which  was 
something  he  had  never  done  before;  and  she  felt 
that  it  was  to  be  a  sort  of  state  visit.  She  told  him 
so  when  he  came  in. 

He  laughed.     "  Is  Jack  in  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  said  no;  and  he  seemed  to  be  immensely  re 
lieved.  "  Is  it  a  secret  from  Jack?"  she  inquired, 
watching  him  closely. 

"What?"  he  flashed  back. 

"  Your — oh,  why  you  left  politics  ?  " 

"  No,  of  course  not — at  least  not  to  you.  Only, 
I've  been  asked  so  many  times  why — I've  done  what 
I've  done,  and  what  I'm  goin'  to  do  now,  and  all 
that  sort  of  thing,  that  I'm  beginning  to  want  to — 
hide  somewhere." 

"  So  you  came  here  ?  "  said  Kate,  passing  over  the 
inconsequence  of  his  reply. 

"  Isn't  it  a  pretty  good  sort  of  a  place  to  come  to  ?  " 
he  returned. 

"  That  depends." 

"On  what?" 

"  On  yourself — on  me — and — on  your  business." 

"  If  it  depends  on  me,  I'll  show  you  what  I  think 
of  it.  If  it  depends  on  you,  I  know,  I  won't  com 
plain." 

"  Why,  Jimmy !  You're  actually  paying  compli 
ments  !  What  has  come  over  you  ?  "  she  cried. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  495 

"  Nothing.  Do  you  think  I'm  too  old  to  pay  a 
compliment?  " 

"  Not  too  old ;  but  too  wise.  And  now  you've  for 
gotten  your  business.  A  good  deal  depends  on  that." 

"  How — how  much  ?  "  He  laughed,  but  seemed 
quite  concerned  to  know. 

"  Why,  everything.     Is  this  a  political  visit?  " 

"Not  much!"  He  shook  his  head  earnestly. 
"Politics!"  he  ejaculated  scornfully. 

"  Oh,  politics! "  she  exclaimed,  mocking  him. 
Then,  suddenly,  "  Why  did  you  leave  politics  ?  I 
want  a  truthful  answer !  " 

"  Don't  know  myself — exactly,"  he  answered.  "  I 
haven't  had  time  to  think  it  over  yet." 

"The  truth!"  demanded  Kate.  "You  never 
could  deceive  me,  remember !  " 

"  Th'  truth?  Don't  you  know  better  than  to  seek 
it  in  a  politician?  " 

"  You're  a  politician  no  longer." 

"  But  I  can't  get  out  of  bad  habits." 

"  Jimmy's  habits  weren't  so  bad — at  least,  not  all 
of  them." 

"  Weren't  they  ?  I'm  glad  to  hear  some  one  say 
that." 

"  But  he  had  one  very  bad  one ;  and  that  was  try 
ing  to  play  the  same  tricks  on  me  that  he  did  on  his 
old  politicians.  Now,  you  sent  word  to  me  that  you 
were  coming  here  this  evening.  What  was  that, 
for?" 


J.   DEVLIN— BOSS  496 

"For?"  he  coughed,  uncrossed  his  legs,  then 
crossed  them  again.  "  To  let  you  know  I  was  com 
ing,"  he  finished. 

She  kept  her  eyes  on  his  face.  "  I'm  waiting?  " 
she  said. 

"  You  don't  have  to  wait,"  he  replied.    "  I'm  here." 

"  Go  on,"  she  prompted. 

"  Go  on  ?  Why,  I've  just  come !  "  he  expostulated. 
He  gave  her  a  piteous  glance.  But  his  attempt  at 
raillery  was  weak,  and  it  broke  down  right  there. 

Kate  was  looking  at  him  steadily;  he  gave  up  the 
effort  to  divert  her.  "  Hang  it  all !  "  he  said.  "  What 
is  it  you  want  to  know,  anyway?  " 

"  Why  it  was  that  you  sent  word  that  you  were 
coming  here  this  evening?"  she  repeated  calmly. 
"  You  may  n't  remember,  but  you  never  did  that 
before.  Now,  why  did  you  send  word  ?  " 

Jimmy  sat  up  very  straight,  and  drew  in  a  long 
breath.  Then  he  said  three  words.  "  To  see  you!  " 

They  were  three  commonplace  words,  and  he  had, 
doubtless,  said  them  to  her  several  times  before.  But, 
now,  they  exploded  from  his  mouth  as  if  they  had 
been  held  under  high  pressure.  He  seemed  greatly 
relieved  at  having  got  rid  of  them. 

Their  effect  on  Kate  was  more  remarkable.  In 
an  instant,  her  face  which,  a  moment  before,  had  been 
determined  and  plain  to  be  read,  lost  its  resolution 
and  was  all  confusing  signs.  Her  eyes  suddenly 
realized  that  they  had  been  staring  at  Jimmy's  in  a 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  497 

way  that  was  altogether  impolite,  and  her  cheeks 
blushed  for  shame  of  the  thing,  while  her  lips  remem 
bered  their  old  droop,  and,  straightway,  put  a  dimple 
there  against  further  lapses. 

Jimmy  was  aware  of  these  transformations;  and, 
indeed,  how  could  he  help  it,  watching  her  and  know 
ing  that  something  was  going  to  happen  the  instant 
that  he  transmitted  to  her  the  tremendous  secret 
carried  by  those  three  words  of  his.  But  what  he 
saw,  while  it  did  not  disappoint  him,  did  not  supply 
him  with  the  power  of  divination.  So,  being  only  a 
clever  man  who  had  spent  his  life  in  studying  men, 
he  wondered  what  he  should  deduce  from  these  signs ; 
he  sat  silent,  and  wished  that  his  heart  had  stayed 
where  it  belonged,  and  not  stuck  in  his  throat  where 
it  kept  him  from  speaking. 

While  he  struggled  with  that  obstinate  organ, 
Kate,  who,  in  one  second,  knew  just  how  she  looked, 
and  what  was  the  matter  with  him,  and  what  she 
ought  to  say  first,  looked  up,  and  smiled  at  him. 

"•N &w,  I  understand,"  she  said.  "  You  wanted  to 
talk  over — something — with  me — alone.  And  it's 
important?  " 

Her  smile  had  completed  his  rout,  but  her  words 
braced  him  up.  Kate  understood  him  so  well.  "  Yes, 
that's  why — I  sent  th'  message  I  was  coming,"  he 
managed  to  say.  By  heroic  efforts  he  had  got  his 
heart  where  it  belonged,  and,  though  it  was  still 
jumping  around,  he  was  almost  sure,  now  that  Kate 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  498 

had  come  to  his  rescue  and  they  were  fairly  started, 
that  he  could  keep  it  there.  "  You  see,"  he  said ;  "  as 
I've  got  out  of  politics,  I  must  decide  what  I'm  going 
to  do." 

"  And  you  want  me  to  help  you  ?  " 

"  Y— e— s." 

"  There's  the  Bank?  "  she  said.  "  That  ought  to 
take  up  a  good  deal  of  your  time." 

"  Yes,"  he  assented,  as  if  the  idea  of  the  Bank  was 
one  entirely  new  to  him.  "  But,"  he  added,  with 
more  cheerfulness,  "  it  won't  take  up  all  of  my  time." 

"  And  there's  your  investments.  You've  often 
told  me  that  men  with  money  had  their  hands  full 
looking  after  it." 

"  I've  got  good  sized  hands !  "  returned  Jimmy. 
"  And,  besides,—" 

"  You've  got  that  Land  Company — out  in  Colo 
rado  ?  You  can  give  more  attention  to  that  now." 

"  I  know  all  those  things,  I  guess,"  he  said 
abruptly. 

"  But,  I  thought  you  wanted  me  to  suggest  what 
you  could  do?  " 

"  So  I  did.     But — well,  I  want  something  else !  " 

"  Why,  you've  just  left  politics,  because — be- 
because — " 

Jimmy  nodded.  That  "  because  "  held  a  world  of 
meaning.  It  indicated  to  him  that  she  understood 
some  of  his  reasons,  at  least.  And  this,  not  only 
fitted  well  with  his  own  mood,  but  reflected  credit  on 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  499 

her  acumen.  The  fact  was  that  he  had  told  her 
many  things  and  allowed  her  to  guess  many  more 
that  no  one  else  ever  knew ;  therefore,  she  was  better 
able  to  pass  fair  judgment  on  his  actions.  It  pleased 
him  to  think  that  she  approved  of  what  he  had  done, 
and  he  was  sure  that  she  did.  "  Yes,"  he  responded ; 
"  I  left — just — because.  But  that  doesn't  hinder  me 
from  wanting  something  else;  does  it?  " 

She  made  no  reply. 

"  Does  it  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Does  it  hinder  me  from 
wanting " 

"  No,  of  course  not,"  put  in  Kate  quickly.  "  Busi 
ness " 

"  This  is  not  business,"  he  corrected  instantly. 

Their  eyes  met  again,  and  his  were  not  the  first  to 
fall.  But  it  was  Kate  who  spoke.  "  Is — this — some 
thing — special?"  she  asked. 

"  It  is,  certainly — something  special."  He  said 
it  as  if  he  was  very  sure. 

For  a  minute  they  sat  without  speaking.  Kate's 
eyes  were  on  her  hands  which  were  locked  in  her 
lap.  Jimmy  was  watching  her;  his  were  very 
bright.  "  Don't  you  know?  "  he  inquired  at  last. 

"  I  suppose — I  should,"  she  answered  slowly. 

"  You  do  know." 

Still  she  did  not  say  she  did,  and  he  went  on. 
"  Yes,  you — you  know."  Then,  putting  all  his  reso 
lution  to  the  test,  "Don't  you  know?  Don't  you 
know,  Kate?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  500 

And  she  said  in  a  low  voice ;  "  Yes,  I  guess  I 
know." 

Jimmy  looked  in  her  face,  now  raised  to  his,  and 
was  sure  she  told  him  the  truth.  But,  for  a  little 
while,  she  said  nothing  more;  and  he  said  noth 
ing  because,  it  seemed  to  him,  that  he  had  said  it  all. 

He  wondered  of  what  she  was  thinking  as  she  sat 
there,  her  head  turned  to  one  side,  resting  on  a  hand. 
It  did  not  occur  to  him  that  she  might  be  weighing 
his  qualities;  they  had  known  each  other  too  long 
and  honestly  for  that.  What  he  did  understand  was 
that  here  was  something  in  which  his  arguments  and 
his  shrewdness  could  avail  him  nothing.  It  was  be 
yond  him;  he  was  only  a  petitioner.  He  realized 
that  there  are  nerves  which  are  beyond  one's  control 
at  times.  He  longed  to  do  something  to  aid  his  cause, 
and  could  not. 

Yet,  with  all  the  strangeness  of  this,  one  thing  be 
came  more  plain  to  him  as  the  seconds  sped  by,  and 
she  was  silent  and — calm,  when,  so  his  instinct  told 
him,  she  should  not  be  that  way.  Here  was  the  Kate 
he  had  always  known — a  little  sad  and  mute  but  not 
confused,  nor  yet  uncertain.  In  some  way,  he  un 
derstood  that  this  was  wrong.  His  heart,  from 
thumping  wildly,  grew  heavy  and  sore  and,  perhaps, 
rebellious. 

Then,  Kate  turned  her  face  to  his  once  more,  and, 
right  away,  his  resentment,  if  it  was  that,  left  him. 
Though  what  he  wanted  to  see  was  not  in  her  face, 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  501 

at  least,  he  was  sure  that  there  was  something  there 
that  was  very  near  it  and  very  dear  to  him.  Her 
eyes  were  softly  shining;  maybe,  there  was  a  mist  in 
them.  Her  lips  were  parted,  and  told  him  a  great 
deal  before  she  spoke. 

"  Dear,  old  Jimmy,"  she  said.  "  How  I  wish  I 
could  be — the  way  you  want  me  to  be  and — the  way 
/  want  to  be,  too !  I  tried  hard  to  make  myself  think 
I — it  was — that  way — when  I  was  so  quiet  just 
now.  I  really  did.  But — I  want  you  to  listen  to  me 
for  a  little  while.  You  will,  won't  you  ?  And  you'll 
know  I'm  telling  you  the  truth?  " 

Jimmy  could  only  nod.  It  was  still  hard  to  speak, 
only  now,  he  had  a  queer,  choky  feeling,  such  as  he 
had  never  experienced  before.  It  was  as  if  all  the 
tears  of  forty  years  had  been  saved  up  for  this  time, 
and  had  run  down  into  his  throat.  Some  of  those 
tears  must  have  got  into  Kate's  throat,  too. 

"  Once  upon  a  time,"  she  said;  "  I — set  my  heart 
on  something.  And  I  got  it,  and  then — it  wasn't 
at  all  what  I  thought.  You  know  what  I  mean?  " 
Jimmy  nodded?  "Then,"  she  went  on;  "after  a 
while,  I  began  to  wonder,  if,  after  all,  I  hadn't  looked 
in  the  wrong  place  for  it — for  what  I  wanted.  And, 
for  a  while,  I  thought,  I  knew  where  it  was,  this 
time,  sure  enough.  There  was  someone  came  to  me, 
when  I  was  first  disappointed.  No, — it  wasn't  then 
he  first  came  to  me ;  for  he  was  always  coming  to  me, 
when  I  needed  him  most.  At  any  rate,  I  was  almost 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  502 

certain  that  he  had  what  I  wanted  so  much.  But  he 
didn't — say  he  had ;  he  didn't  say  anything  about  it. 
He  just  was — around, — as  he  always  had  been,  and 
did  what  he  could,  and  that  was  a  great  deal.  I 
thought  about  him, — almost  all  the  time,  I  guess; 
thought  I  couldn't  do  anything  for  him.  You  know 
who  this  was?  " 

Again  Jimmy  nodded.  It  was  an  odd,  automatic, 
little  jerk  of  the  head  which,  somehow,  wrenched 
him.  But  he  was  sitting  back  in  his  chair,  gripping 
the  arms  of  it.  He  felt  as  if  he  were  fixed  there,  with 
only  his  head  free  to  move,  and  his  voice  was  gone. 
Now  and  then,  Kate's  face  and  figure,  as  she  leaned 
toward  him,  were  blurred ;  and,  yet,  his  face  was  dry. 

"But,  by  and  by,"  she  continued;  "I  saw  that 
— that  I'd  been  mistaken  again.  Then,  I  was  glad 
that  I'd  never — that  he'd  never  seen  my  mistake.  It 
would  have  been  so  easy  to  let  him  see  it.  Once, 
when  he  told  me  about  a  promise  he'd  remembered 
for  eighteen  years,  I  nearly  did  let  him  see  it.  But  I 
didn't.  Something  kept  me  from  it.  Afterward,  I 
only  hoped  that  he'd  never  make  the  same  mistake 
I  had.  And,  now — now,  he's  made  it." 

"  No,  he  hasn't !  "  said  Jimmy,  finding  his  voice 
all  at  once.  "  I  haven't  made  any  mistake!  "  he  re 
peated  vehemently.  "  You  know  I  haven't  made 
any  mistake." 

But  she  laid  a  hand  gently  on  his.  "  Yes,  you 
have,"  she  said,  very  low.  "  Oh,  Jimmy !  I  know  you 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  503 

have.  Can't  you  see  it?  Why,  why,  it's  just  the 
same  as  it  used  to  be,  when  you  and  I  sold  papers. 
It's  just  the  same,  only  we've — grown  up."  She  gave 
a  little  sigh,  and  his  fingers  closed  on  hers. 

He  tried  to  say  it  wasn't  so;  but  she  went  on, 
"  We've  been  chums  so  many  years  that  it  seems  as  if 
we  were — something  else.  But — we  aren't,  Jimmy. 
We  aren't,  Jimmy,  dear !  " 

"  I  know  we  are.  I  know  we  are,"  he  re 
turned  stoutly,  fighting  against  her  conviction. 
"  I'm  not  just  your  chum,  anyway.  I  won't  be  it!  " 
he  finished  fiercely. 

But  she  repeated  softly,  "  Jimmy !  Jimmy !  don't 
you  see  what  I  mean!  I'm  right,  indeed,  I  am 
Jimmy." 

Suddenly  his  resolution  failed  him.  He  was 
seized  with  a  sense  of  his  helplessness,  and  this  help 
lessness  he  could  not  put  aside.  It  struck  him  down; 
he  could  only  whisper,  "  You  mean — you — we  can't 
be — anything  else?  "  It  seemed  to  him  almost  as  if 
another  person  were  saying  the  words.  He  under 
stood  that  he  had  lost.  But,  even  yet,  he  strove  not 
to  accept  the  truth.  She  must  tell  him. 

"  No,  we  can't  be — anything  else,"  Kate  said 
softly. 

He  had  released  her  hand;  she  held  out  both  of 
them  to  him,  and  touched  his. 

Jimmy  looked  at  them  for  a  moment  almost  stu 
pidly.  He  was  groping  for  aid ;  and,  all  at  once,  he 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  504 

saw  it  was  there — in  Kate's  hands.  He  took  them 
both  into  his  own. 

"  We're  going  to  be  what  we've  always  been,"  she 
told  him ;  and  he  realized  something  of  what  it  was  to 
have  her  for  this.  "  We  were  chums  when  we  sold 
papers  together,"  she  added;  "  we  were  chums  when 
you  stood  by  me,  and  helped  me  through  so  many 
hard  places,  and  you — we  're  always  going  to  be 
chums?  " 

She  halted,  and  Jimmy  was  looking  into  her  calm, 
trustful  eyes  with  their  veil  of  tears.  And  her  smile, 
which  was  a  little  sad,  a  little  wistful,  seemed  to  say, 
"  Jimmy!  you'll  do  this  for  me?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  as  he  held  her  hands  fast. 
"  Yes,  we'll  always  be — chums." 


CHAPTER  XXVII  505 

4C     A     SK    Mr.   Doran  to  come    in  here,"   said 

/-%       Jimmy,    one  morning    in  February.     It 

was    in  his  private   office  at  the  Union 

Bank,   and   a  conference  between  himself  and  the 

Cashier  of  the  Bank  had  just  come  to  an  end.     The 

financial  market  was  unstable,  the  stock  market  in 

a  condition  favorable  to  almost  anything  but  security. 

Jack  Doran  responded  to  the  call.  He  said 
"  Good  morning,"  and  stood,  waiting. 

Jimmy  slowly  wrote  some  names  on  a  sheet  of 
paper.  He  had  never  been  a  rapid  penman,  but,  to 
Jack,  he  now  seemed  to  write  more  laboriously  than 
ever.  One  might  almost  detect  a  tremor  in  the  plump 
hand,  veined  with  purple.  His  shoulders  were 
erect  and  his  graying  hair  thick,  but  the  cords  that 
were  beginning  to  ridge  his  neck  and  the  wrinkles 
about  his  eyes  were  not  to  be  mistaken.  His  voice, 
however,  was  clear  and  steady,  as  he  finished  writ 
ing,  and,  while  glancing  over  the  paper,  said,  "  You 
know,  of  course,  that  things  look  a  little  squally? 
You  saw  that  Mason  and  Company  are  in  trouble; 
and  that  it's  said  T.  B.  Jenkins  is  likely  to  be 
affected?" 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  506 

"  Yes/'  answered  Jack. 

"  Well,  we  want  to  keep  on  th'  safe  side.  We've 
decided  to  watch  th'  people  I've  put  down  here — 
pretty  closely."  Jimmy  looked  up  from  the  paper. 
"  We  don't  want  to  hurt  their  credit,  of  course. 
We'll  do  all  we  can  for  'em,  so  long  as  it  ain't  taking 
too  big  risks.  But  there  we  stop.  I'll  tell  th'  rest; 
and  I  want  you  to  be  special  careful.  Their  paper — 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  Anything  with  their 
names  on  it, — look  at  it  hard  and  think  it  over  before 
you  accept  it,  if  any  payment  's  to  be  made.  You 
understand?  " 

"  Yes,  I  understand,"  answered  Jack.  He  took 
the  paper.  His  glance  traveled  over  it.  "  Peabody 
and  Makin?  Are  they  in  trouble?  I  thought  they 
were  of  the  best." 

"  They're  all  right — now — as  far  as  I  can  find 
out.  But  they  have — connections.  Stock  brokers  are 
bound  to.  For  another  thing,  they're  heavily  in 
terested  in  York  and  Clayton  Railroad;  and — well, 
I  don't  like  that  over  much." 

"York  and  Clayton?  Why,  that's  gilt-edged, 
everybody  says?  " 

"Who's  everybody?" 

"  Why — the  best  informed  people.  And  the 
stock's  been  steadily  going  up.  It's  generally  be 
lieved,  so  I've  been  told,  that  it  '11  be  fifty  per  cent 
higher  inside  of  six  months,  anyhow." 

"  Maybe,  maybe.     But  we're  dealing  with  th'  pres- 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  507 

ent,  just  now.  What  may  happen  six  months  from 
to-day  ain't — Well,  a  lot  of  things  might  happen  by 
then.  Anyway,  York  and  Clayton  ain't  an  asset  of 
this  Bank ;  so  we're  not  interested  in  it,  except  to  see 
that  too  much  of  our  customers'  credit  doesn't  hang 
on  it.  Th'  stock  market's  a  good  place  to  keep  out  of, 
particularly  if  you're  in  a  Bank. 

Jack  did  not  respond.  "  Don't  you  think  so?" 
asked  Jimmy. 

«  Yes,— of  course,  I  do." 

Jimmy  had  been  studying  the  other's  face. 
"  You're  not  looking  well,"  he  said.  "  What's  th' 
matter,  my  boy?" 

"  Nothing  's  the  matter  with  me,"  returned  Jack. 
He  was  smiling;  but  his  denial  was  an  affirmation 
in  fact.  "  At  least,  nothing  much  is  the  matter/'  he 
qualified.  "  I've  been  sleeping  badly  lately ;  that's 
sort  of  knocked  me  out,  I  guess." 

"  You  don't  look  right  about  th'  eyes,  that's  cer 
tain.  You  look  worried.  I  tell  you  what  you  do; 
take  a  few  days  off.  We  don't  want  you  laid  up. 
You " 

"  Oh,  no !  I  don't  want  to  leave  here.  I — well,  I've 
got  everything  running — smoothly.  Another  man  'd 
muss  it  all  up,  maybe." 

A  stronger  light  flooded  Jimmy's  face.  "  Jack 
you're — all  right !  "  he  said.  "  You  talk  th'  way  I 
like  to  hear  a  man  talk.  It's  grit — that's  what  it  is." 

Jimmy  was  aroused.     Something  mounted  in  his 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  508 

veins  like  wine,  and  made  his  eyes  sparkle.  His 
heart  rejoiced  itself  with  the  thought  that  this  was 
the  boy  whom  he  had  started  in  life — Kate's  boy,  and 
that  he  stood  true  to  the  mark.  "  Shake  hands !  "  he 
cried. 

But  Jack  had  dropped  the  slip  of  paper  with  the 
names  on  it,  and  had  stooped  to  pick  it  up.  So 
the  extended  hand  was  not  taken,  and,  instead, 
patted  him  on  the  back.  "  But  you  must  take  those 
days  off,  just  th'  same,"  Jimmy  went  on.  "  When  I 
come  home — I've  got  to  go  to  Chicago,  for  a  day  or 
so,  this  week — we'll  make  you  take  your  holiday, 
then." 

"  Thank  you " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  broke  in  Jimmy ;  and,  after  a  mo 
ment,  went  on;  "  You  see,  Jack,  you're  more  to  me 
than  th'  cashier  of  this  bank.  You  know  that,  don't 
you?  Why,  ever  since  you  was  a  little  shaver,  I've 
been  watching  you  and  planning  for  you.  You're 
just  th'  same  as  if  you  was  my  son,  in  lots  of  ways. 
If  things  go  th'  way  I  want,  you'll  be  right  on  top 
here,  at  th'  Bank.  I  ain't  going  to  last — always, 
though,  I  guess,  I'd  knock  out  a  good  many  that's 
younger  than  me  yet.  But  I'm  goin'  to  have  a  lot  of 
good  times  seeing  how  you  run  things." 

Jack  strove  to  speak.  Jimmy  raised  a  protesting 
hand.  "  Hold  on  there!  "  he  said  hastily.  "  Don't 
you  begin  to  say  '  you're  too  kind  '  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing.  It  won't  go  down  with  me.  Th'  old  man's 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  509 

too  young  to  swallow  such  talk.  I  know  what  you 
think;  I'll  take  th'  words  for  granted.  Besides,  I'll 
have  more  fun  watching  you  working  your  way 
ahead  than  you'll  have  doin'  th'  pushing.  I've  been 
through  it  all,  and  I'm  pretty  nearly  done  with  it. 
That's  where  I've  got  the  call  on  you." 

Jimmy  chuckled.  The  idea  of  shifting  the  harness 
from  his  shoulders  because  the  pull  was  heavy  amused 
him.  But  it  warmed  his  heart  to  think  that  soon  he 
was  to  have  the  one  he  had  taught  to  pull  strong  and 
fairly  for  a  fellow  in  harness.  He  leaned  forward, 
and  grasped  Jack  by  the  arm.  "  Stick  to  your  post, 
and  keep  to  your  word !  That's  what  I  told  you  when 
you  first  came  here,"  he  said  gravely.  "  And  you've 
done  both,"  he  added.  "  That's  why  you  are  where 
you  are  to-day.  And  that's  why  you'll  get  on 
farther.  And  that's  why — Well,  it's  a  whole  lot  of 
comfort  to  feel  that  th'  boy  I  staked  on  has  turned 
out — dead  straight !  "  His  voice  was  a  little  shaky, 
but  it  was  proud  and  happy,  too. 

"  Dead  straight !  "  echoed  Jack  in  a  low,  proud 
tone — so  low  that  Jimmy  barely  heard  him;  he  was 
making  a  twist  of  the  slip  of  paper,  and  there  were 
tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  Yes,  dead  straight !  "  repeated  Jimmy.  Then,  as 
Jack  essayed  to  speak,  "  Don't  you  say  another 
word!  Why,  we're  acting  like  a  couple  of  old 
women !  Get  out  of  here !  Get  out  of  here !  Tjon't 
you  see  I've  got  work  to  do?  " 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  510 

He  wheeled  around  in  his  chair,  and  bent  over  his 
desk.  Hie  dug  at  the  corners  of  his  eyes  with  vicious 
knuckle,  as  Jack  walked  out. 

Jimmy  started  for  Chicago  on  the  evening  of  that 
day — Tuesday.  His  errand  was  a  vital  one  of  per 
sonal  nature,  but  he  expected  to  finish  his  business 
and  be  home  again  by  Saturday  night  of  the  same 
week. 

On  Wednesday  evening,  however,  he  read  disquiet 
ing  dispatches  from  his  own  city.  The  financial  con 
ditions  there  were  threatening.  He  became  uneasy. 
To  his  mind,  a  local  panic  was  foreshadowed  by  the 
failure  of  two  big  firms.  One  of  these  was  Peabody 
&  Makin ;  the  other  had  wide  business  ramifications. 
But,  receiving  no  word  from  the  Bank  he  decided  to 
wait  to  finish  his  business.  On  Thursday  morning 
came  news  of  the  failure  of  T.  B.  Jenkins  and  of 
the  threatened  collapse  of  a  firm  associated  with  the 
Union  Bank.  Jimmy  was  on  the  train  which  left 
Chicago  one  hour  later;  he  just  missed  a  telegram 
sent  him  by  the  Vice-President  of  the  Bank. 
*  *  *•*.'•* 

The  Union  Bank  was  in  trouble.  It  was  whispered 
on  the  street  early  in  the  forenoon  of  that  Thursday. 
A  hundred  tongues  spread  the  news  broadcast.  By 
noon  the  report  was  a  circumstantial  story.  The 
Bank  had  been  hard  hit  by  the  failures  of  T.  B. 
Jenkins  and  an  allied  banking  house.  To  this  the 
gossip  of  the  street  added  an  astonishing  bit  of  news. 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  519 

As  he  passed  inside  a  figure  thrust  itself  through 
the  crowd,  and  hurried  after  him.  It  was  Jack 
Doran,  and  Jimmy  had  reached  the  door  of  the  Direc 
tors'  Room  before  he  was  overtaken.  But  with  his 
hand  on  the  door  knob,  he  halted  at  the  sound  of 
Jack's  voice,  and  turned.  "What  is  it?"  he  de 
manded. 

Jack  unbuttoned  his  coat  and  drew  a  package  from 
his  pocket.  He  held  it  out.  "  There  are  fifty  thou 
sand  dollars  in  securities,"  he  said.  "  They  are  for 
the  Bank ;  I  could  not  get  them  earlier ;  they  kept  us 
waiting  at  the  Trust  Company." 

"  Fifty  thousand  dollars !  "  said  Jimmy.  "  Where 
did  they  come  from?  " 

"  From — Molly.  She  gave  them  to  me — for  the 
Bank." 

"  From "  Jimmy  began.  Then  Jack's  face 

told  him  something  which  made  him  pause.  A  mo 
ment  he  stood  without  speaking,  the  stern  lines 
fading  from  about  his  mouth,  his  eyes  lighting.  If 
he  did  not  comprehend  all,  he  understood  enough  to 
make  him  put  a  hand  on  Jack's  shoulder  and  give  it  a 

great  grip.  "  Jack,"  he  said,  "  She's  a good  girl. 

But  keep  the  securities,  they're  not  needed."  He 
dropped  his  hand,  and  passed  into  the  Directors' 
Room. 

And  there  he  came  upon  a  dozen  men  with  anxious 
faces  grouped  about  a  table.  It  was  a  leaden  day, 
but  it  seemed  to  them  as  if  he  brought  sunshine  with 


J.  DEVLIN— BOSS  520 

them.  A  murmur  of  relief  came  from  them,  and 
they  were  all  upon  their  feet. 

Jimmy  removed  his  hat.  "  Good  morning,  gen 
tlemen,"  he  said.  "  It  appears  we  have  a  good  many 
callers  to-day.  You're  sorry,  I  take  it  from  your 
looks;  but,  in  one  way,  I  am  not." 

They  regarded  him  with  amazement,  and  he 
smiled  back,  as  he  often  had  done  when  things 
seemed  all  wrong  to  others  and  they  pulled  long 
faces.  "Yes,"  he  went  on;  "I'm  glad;  for  here's 
our  chance  to  show  we  meant  what  we  said  when  we 
took  hold  of  this  Bank." 

He  laid  on  the  table  a  long,  black  leather  bag,  and 
opened  it.  Then  he  looked  up.  "  There,"  he  said; 
"  is  $200,000  in  securities.  They're  all  right;  they'll 
see  us  through,  I  guess.  I  would  like  a  receipt, 
please." 

There  was  a  moment  of  astonished  silence,  then  a 
long  drawn  breath.  One  of  the  Directors  found 
voice  to  ask,  "  These  securities?  Whose  are  they?  " 

"  That  doesn't  matter,"  answered  Jimmy.  "  But, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  they  were  mine.  Now — " 

"  Your  own?     But  you're  not  responsible — " 

Jimmy  interrupted  instantly,  "  I'm  President  of 
this  Bank,  I  believe.  And  I  said  nobody  was  going 
to  lose  any  money  here,  didn't  I  ?  Yes  ?  Well,  then 
— I  meant  it.  It  was  my  word." 


40i67 


I** 


